


Cloudy gemstones

by Kalkiru



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-18 18:26:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 166,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3579462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalkiru/pseuds/Kalkiru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A long, sometimes serious, sometimes silly story that follows the adventures of a young does-not-wannabe celebrity called Brendan who begins falling for a sickly and fragile friend he meets on the way named Wally. Family issues, self-growth and friendship are plentiful concepts in this particular tale. Rated M for potential physical violence between people/Pokemon and some coarse language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A bright young star

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, my name is Kalkiru and this is one of a few fanfiction ideas I have been mulling over. First and foremost I feel I should post some warnings before you read this. For starters, this story will be shipping Brendan and Wally and though it will largely be a bromance of epic proportions, there will be underlying romantic tones and this may blossom into actual romance later. I am leaning very much towards not writing smut at all for this story however, even as an ending despite the fact the characters are of age for that in this fic. However, there is that possibility however faint it may be, so if you don't like Yaoi turn back now.
> 
> The opening prologue for this fic is heavily inspired by another fanfiction writer on FFNet, her story "All I ever wanted" (written by Mccull) was one of the few decent WallyxBrendan fics on FFnet/deviantart. I really loved the idea of Brendan hating contests and the family tension this could create, I also loved the flow of her prologue. As a result my prologue will be based on the concepts said writer has presented, however, every chapter there after will follow an entirely separate chain of events, I wanted to take my own direction with this idea and to see how far I could push Brendan's contest and family issues to fuel the plot of the story.
> 
> It should be noted that I also intend for this to be long, this does cover their journey right up to the pokemon league after all and with so many headcanons and characters to play around with this is going to become one hell of a ride. To be fair though, I make no promise of regular updates, deadlines make me feel bad about working on things I would otherwise enjoy so I am not going to have a set timeline for chapter releases, they will come out if and when I have them ready.
> 
> The prologue has been heavily scrutinized and read over a million times by myself. Perfection is unattainable but hopefully thanks to all the re-reading this has gone through it gets to you viewers in a respectable and coherent state. For reference, even if I don't get someone to beta a chapter I read it myself many times over and I don't even confirm a final draft until I'm happy with how it looks and flows, expect this to make updates a little slow ;^^
> 
> Anyway, a small disclaimer; I do not own Pokemon nor do I own it's characters.
> 
> With all that warning mumbo jumbo out of the way I thank you in advance for reading and I hope you enjoy my fic!

The shouts echoed, filling the contest arena and dimly spilling over into the backstage area where I happened to be.

_Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan!_

That horrific sound was my name; a droning chant flowing from beyond the curtains of the stage.

_Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan!_

It continued.  _They_  continued. Thousands upon thousands of people, all claiming to be my fans, all believing that they knew who I was. They only knew my name, not the person behind it, the Brendan they were cheering for was naught but a lie. A façade created for their entertainment.

_Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan! Brendan!_

It was repulsive. I despised the persona they were all cheering for; hated that who I really was didn't matter when compared to the me that everyone else seemed to want. Anyone from the outside would have thought they adored me, but they couldn't be more wrong. Who they desired to see and I who happened to be were two completely different people.

Tonight, like all other nights, involved me giving the crowd what they wanted to observe. A frivolous and pointless display of elegance, a false performance involving Pokemon that weren't even mine. Bad enough that I had to act, worse still that I had to force other people's Pokemon to act with me.

I was reaching my breaking point; fed up with the media, the fans, all of the shit that came with them. I was done. Completely over it all. My breathing was unsteady and pained, It felt like I was choking on the heavy, almost musty air behind the stage arena. A small part of me even wished I was, so I would have an excuse not to go out there, to meet the faces of this distant uproar.

To top it off, this show was always televised across Hoenn to every household in the region with cable. Tens of thousands of onlookers, all wanting to see their precious idol. The thought of it all stirred more anger in me. My resolve building, I began to rationalize every plan I had to get out of there. I began to justify it all to myself, silently.

Unaware of my emotional turmoil, the fans kept chanting, repeating my name in anticipation like they always did.

"Brendan! Time to go on stage! Come on, go!"

My brooding was broken by the sharp, almost shrill voice of my mother. Becoming vaguely aware that she was pushing me, shoving me in the direction of the stage, I snapped back into reality. She was trying to get me to go beyond the crimson threshold, looking back I saw her stern expression, practically willing me to step past the curtains and meet the audience.

Like every day of the last three months I had fought to avoid the stage, I dug my heels into the wooden floor in defiance. I did so on instinct, hoping in vain that they would catch; that I could fight my mothers' strength and save myself from having to go on stage again. No such luck. For her size, my mother was stronger than she seemed, and it didn't help any that the wooden floor was always waxed. I struggled regardless.

"Stop that Brendan! Don't fight me! You know full well that you have to go on stage, now hurry up and give the crowd what they want!"

My mother didn't care what I wanted, or at least that's how it appeared right now.

"MOM!"

I shouted at her in fruitless protest, fighting her back harder this time. Despite my renewed efforts she pushed me forward and as I was edging closer to the curtain the music started on cue. A jumbled electronic piece, non-lyrical and intended to be my theme song while performing. Hearing even the first few notes was enough to stir my quiet rage. Tonight, it was just more fuel for the fire; the already raging inferno in my chest.

It was all so false. The music, my clothes, even the Pokemon I had to use were as far removed from the real Brendan as they could possibly be. I was just an average boy who enjoyed battling, who preferred the company of friends to the company of fans, (not that I had many of those). I didn't care for any of the things this career could give me, not a single thing.

The cheers were empty and hollow. The money was pointless and the people were fake. Thinking over it all made me even more angry than I already was, if such a thing was possible right now. A mix of fear, loathing, hate and regret. My emotions were so intense that they almost seemed tangible.

I snapped.

Whatever was keeping the balance of my thoughts in check gave way. I was seventeen years old, bordering on eighteen, and for the first time in my life I had reached the point where I just wasn't going to sit back and take this shit.

"NO!"

I snarled, breaking contact with the woman who called herself my mother. The woman that turned me into this, twisted my image to suit a lifestyle she wanted for herself and not me. I was exhausted. Tired of Pokemon contests, of having to pretend to be someone I clearly wasn't.

"BRENDAN! Get your ass out there now mister! You have a job to do, now go do it!"

She pointed at the parting line in the curtains with such force and malice I was surprised her arm didn't drop off.

"NO!" I repeated more adamantly this time, shaking my head.

"I refuse to perform for you, or anyone else any more! It's not fucking fair!"

My mother's eyes bulged. She wasn't used to this much defiance, I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't expect anything after pointing to the curtains, let alone me dropping the F-Bomb on her.

I felt it soon after, the stinging pain spreading through my cheek after being hit with her open palm.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that, you ungrateful little brat! I'm setting your life up for you and this how you speak to me?! Do you want a job?! Do you want to have a good life?! You need to go out there right now young man!"

Her nails dug into my shoulders a little when she gripped me again, glaring menacingly into my eyes, shooting daggers with hers. It was a look I rarely got to see. I normally didn't rebel to this point, especially in my younger years. However, enough was enough. Slapping me only proved that she didn't care. Not for what I wanted. Despite that knowledge, despite the stinging sensation on my right cheek and all reason, I still wanted to believe she did, I wanted to try and get her to understand me. If she could only see things my way I would never have to do any of this ever again.

"I want to be happy!"

Yanking myself from her iron grip, I backed up a little before continuing.

"None of this is what I want! I don't care about any of it and you know it! This isn't a life you're setting up for me, this is something you're setting up for yourself!"

I bellowed the last sentence, trying to drown out the chanting from the crowd behind the curtains.

She appeared to consider me for all of about two seconds before she scoffed in response and began pushing me again. The pain lingering on my face from her earlier outburst and her lack of care for anything I had just said solidified my determination. If I was to get out of having to go through this routine again, I had to do something myself since she had no intention of helping me. It was necessary for me to make it clear to more people than just my mother that I wasn't just some star for them to all fawn over.

I stopped resisting, broke from my mothers' grip and began to stride toward the opening in the curtain line, glancing back to catch a triumphant smile from her. She probably thought I had given in again. It took all my willpower not to snort at her stupidity. Her, and everyone else in this stadium would be getting a show alright, but not the show they were here for.

I hit a blinding light as I stepped through the threshold that was the backstage curtains. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the heavily illuminated stage. Blinking a few times, I stared at the cheering crowds; their cries still deafening, drowning out whatever sound I could make. If they had been close enough they might have been able to catch the glare I was giving them. Fortunately for them, that was not the case.

The spotlights were turned on, adding harsher light to an already bright environment, pointed directly at me. The crowd's cheering continued, they all moved in unison, proud of their beloved idol. The most popular handler in the entire world, the greatest child performer. No one, not a single person amongst the crowd of thousands was aware that I hated contests; that I wanted to be a trainer. Hell, I'd bet every cent I'd ever made that they didn't even know that the Pokemon I performed these ridiculous shows with weren't even mine.

Expectation demanded I perform my opening act, the one that involved a timid little Skitty doing a short acrobatics performance amidst some glitter bombs. Well, expectation be damned because that wasn't on my agenda for the night, or any night after this.

Under the intense light blue spotlight I dashed across the stage to its centre. Normally I would push the secret button jutting just above floor where I was standing, which would prepare the arena for my main act. Today I avoided that switch like touching it would make me contract Swinub flu. The people who cheered had grown silent at this point, most likely in anticipation for a new routine. Looking at all their bright and expectant faces made it difficult to contain the hysteric laughter building in my chest.

Contain it I did however as I had a point to prove, laughter could wait. I reached the centre of the stage. Below my feet were more switches, one of which turned off the music that was still playing in the background. With the constant hum of the up-beat electronic music gone and the crowd itself maintaining it's deafening silence I turned up the volume of my mouthpiece.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" I said in the most patronizing tone I could muster.

"It is with great pleasure that I bring to you some long overdue information!"

Shaking. I was shaking, I couldn't tell if it was from my own nervousness, or from my excitement and the adrenaline pumping through me. Either way, the crowd leaned forward slightly, hanging off that last sentence with anticipation. I would take a lot of joy in shattering that expectation.

And I did.

"The show... is over"

Despite the maelstrom of emotions swirling in my head, nothing could stop the vile smirk forming on my face as the crowd began to gasp in shock. I drank it all in. For all of a gloriously long second I basked in that disappointment, knowing full well the consequences. The lights on stage merely played out to their pre-set pattern behind me, the confusion this caused alongside my declaration drew silence from a usually chaotic crowd.

"Why is that my boy?" An inquisitive voice rang out.

A voice with the same volume as mine, coming from one of the judges at the side of the stage. A guest judge actually, someone unfamiliar to me, like so many others, yet who had heard about me from people close enough to me to see how rebellious I could be. No doubt he, like the audience, was trying to understand just what I meant. He leaned forward in his seat, hands folded under his chin, almost demanding my reply.

I was still breathing heavily. I hated him. Like everyone else, he couldn't understand, always expecting the act, never the real me.

"Brendan?"

Another judge spoke up, this time a regular of the stage. One of my managers in fact. Tapping at his microphone, clearly commanding that I answer while soundlessly mouthing out a "What the fuck?" at me.

I hated him even more, unlike the guest judge and my rabid fans, he didn't so much expect the act as he demanded it. He and my mother worked together to frame my public image and he would be the first to yell at me if I even had so much as a single hair out of place when I performed. Making sure to take a mental picture of his stupefied expression, a face worth all years of putting up with his bullshit and more, before I turned to meet the face of the final judge, a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth.

The last judge, the only female on the panel merely shook her head in knowing the moment she met my hateful gaze. She had discussed many times over with my manager that this would happen one day, that I was a spoilt brat who could only screw up. To her, I was an ungrateful child. To me, she was a judgemental bitch.

I glared at all three, wishing my hatred for them all would manifest, that they could see the pain I had to put up with for their sake for so long.

"Brendan"

My manager said again, tapping harder on his microphone this time.

"Brendan"

The female judge echoed after him.

"Brendan!"

One of the crowd members whined.

"BRENDAN!"

This time a roar from a portion of the crowd. My nails digging into my palms on reflex as I heard my name called repeatedly. I could live a million years without hearing anyone say my name again and it would still be too soon.

I ripped the microphone from my ear and held it firmly in place just below my lips.

"Everyone. Let me make this clear."

I was shaking even harder now. This was it. After today, I wouldn't have to put up with this bullshit for the rest of my life.

"THIS SHOW IS FUCKING OVER"

I screamed into the microphone, throwing it at the ground with enough force to shatter it into pieces. The sudden and violent nature of my outburst caused the crowd to squeal and flinch, almost in unison.

I turned my back to them all, sparing not even a glance in their direction, not for the fans, not for the TV crew and certainly not for the judges. For once not a soul said my name. My footsteps echoed faintly within the arena as I ran as quickly as I could, a silent call out to all of my 'fans' that this was it. This was the end of Brendan the handler. Their beloved, famous, overrated idol. Their precious false star was gone and wasn't coming back.

I darted off the stage and out of an emergency exit to the side. Beyond it's darkened halls I found the outside world where I had left my Flygon waiting. From the start this dragon of mine was in on it. As one of my first Pokemon he knew of my plan from the beginning. Well partly anyway. He knew I liked to ride him and escape after contests, but he didn't know (no one knew actually, not even me) that I was going to make a harsh split-second decision tonight.

Nobody could have known that I was going to ruin everything; my mother's, judge's and manager's plans with just one 'performance'. Not a single person. Sweet Arceus did it feel  _great_  to know I had ruined it all. There were no words in the English language that could adequately describe the sense of satisfaction this knowledge gave me. Entire novels could be written about how good it felt.

Even as I climbed on top of my Flygon, I continued to soak in that indescribable feeling. With the crowd inside the arena giving off a faint noise as a backdrop, I had never felt more alive than at this moment.

"Let's go" I breathed softly, knowing I would have to leave fast before my mother burst through that very same exit I had left from. She would probably try to restrain me. Hell, she would lock me up and put me in chains if she could. She didn't give a damn about who I was as long as I was the Brendan that everyone wanted. Tonight had proved that beyond a doubt. But I wasn't going to be that Brendan any more, not a single fucking moment longer.

No. From this day forward, I was going to just be me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the prologue, its pretty great and the way the events occurred was directly inspired by the fic I mentioned above. You wouldn't believe it, but there was a much, MUCH angstier version of this during the drafting stage. I decided however that it wasn't a good thing if everything was just covered in angst and the repeating affirmations of "nobody" knowing anything about Brendan as a person (albeit worded differently every time) did nothing to advance the narrative and they only made our poor protag seem like a whiny little shit. I was going for sympathetic here so naturally I had to cut a lot of stuff out to make it flow well and not sound overly dramatic. In the end I found a healthy balance and so here we are!
> 
> In any case, cheers for reading, hope you like it and I hope you will enjoy the next chapter


	2. Old memories, false gems

I had been flying for twelve long hours before I reached my destination in the dead of night.

Home.

I lived in Petalburg city, well, it was more of a town to be fair. Thanks to my mother's previous fame as a contest performer and my dad's claim as a gym leader we actually had houses scattered all over the Hoenn region. The one in Petalburg however was special.

Too busy in my thoughts about the place to notice how close we were to landing, my Pokemon instead took charge. Flygon gracefully hovered just above the ground briefly and landed with a soft thump, letting me get off at the side, I turned around and petted him on the head. Whispering my thanks, before a flash of red light engulfed him, tucking him safely back in his pokeball.

Arriving moments later at the front door with a faint smile draped across my face, silently revelling in the fact that this house was my sanctuary, I took in it's appearance. The roof and front door sharing the same light shade of brown, coming together with the brick work gave the house a gentle yet firm feel, an unimposing but stalwart aura, at least to me. However, the best part of the house wasn't the door, or the roof, but the space in between. It's faint-red brick exterior, though cold-looking at this time of night, was in fact the most inviting feature of all. Solid and reliable, just like my old man.

This was afterall, dad's favourite house, he spent most of his time here tending to his gym, so he settled. Mom never really wanted to stay in one place unless it had a contest hall but she gave in for dad's sake and compromised, not without putting up a fight first of course. Instead of staying permanently she pursued her career when she could, travelling via Pokemon when necessary to make all her performances. She only stayed with us when it suited her. Because of this dad used to get pretty lonely, he could never hold my mother back though, he was too kind, too understanding.

I liked my dad, back when he was around. When I was a lot younger he used to let me watch his gym battles, even though my mother didn't approve. A lot of my passion for Pokemon battling probably came from him. When he died I was devastated and so was mom, she never wanted to come back to our old house in Petalburg after the funeral, not that she ever spent that much time there to begin with.

Me on the other hand, well, whenever I got vacation time, I would come back here, I still had the key to the property and my mother, being the sentimental person that she was, never sold despite it's disuse.

Which is why it was the perfect place to lay low, not a soul in the contest arena other than my mom would know it was one of our houses, and to add to that; not even she would bother looking here of all places for me. She didn't know this is where I ran off to on my free vacation days, no one did, it would never dawn on her that the first place I would hide after such an incident would be right here, in dad's old home.

Breaking away from thoughts of my mother never finding me, my fondness for this house was re-enforced as I began to reminisce, opening and walking through the front door, heading for my bedroom on the second floor while absently dreaming of days gone by.

I stored many memories here, alongside dad's old stuff. So many odds and ends tucked away in each corner of the house, probably covered top-to-bottom with dust due to years of neglect. Tomorrow sang with the promise of me finding all of these memories again, tempting even to go through everything now for the hit of nostalgia. That could wait however, there was a serious matter for me to attend to; the problem of being a missing celebrity and of course my lack of sleep from the flight here.

Basking in the silence of the household, I contemplated how it had never seemed so empty until today. It was hard to imagine that no one would come out of one of the upstairs rooms and yell at me for being up so late. Not that I minded that there wasn't actually anyone around to do that of course. After all, I truly enjoyed having the house to myself.

Life was much easier without my mom growling in my ear, telling me how to act or what to do. I could wake up whenever I wanted, eat when I felt like it and I didn't have to bother with doing performances. This particular flavour of liberty was different though, my freedom from my mother, from the stage, was permanent. Of course, this was only if I could hide well from the media, but hiding away completely would get in the way of my dream, my goal of entering the Pokemon league.

I needed two things to bypass this problem, the easiest of the two to acquire was a disguise. I had plenty of clothes that I picked up and stored in the house over time, tucked away in one of the many dressers and cabinets.

A red shirt with a green bag and some dark brown shorts I had found while rummaging through my room's closet and draws proved to be a winning combination, checking myself in the small mirror next to my bed, pleased with the way it looked and content that the outfit worked together. The clothing itself wasn't nearly as flamboyant or 'in your face' like my contest clothing but it wasn't so plain as to be outright boring either.

Something was still missing though, people could still tell who I was if they looked close enough. Pacing the room a few times before an idea dawned on me; all I needed now was a hat to hide some of my hair and to wear one of the sets of colour contact lenses I carried around for my contests. Satisfied with my plan I stopped my pacing and left my room to look for a suitable piece of head wear. Halfway down the upstairs hall I realised with no small amount of glee that I could use my dads old beanie. He wore it when he was a trainer and the idea that I could wear it while becoming one had me giddy.

Cheerfully, I ran to dad's room and opened a dusty old dresser, knowing exactly what I was looking for and where it would be hiding. It didn't take long before I had found it, pulling the white beanie from the confines of the draw I rushed back to my own room to see how it would look on me, a wide grin plastered across my face all the way back to my mirror.

The outfit really came together with the headgear in tow, the bright white beanie didn't look out of place and I definitely appeared to be a lot different from the Brendan everyone else knew. Pulling out my case of contacts from the small pouch I had resting in my back pocket, still smiling like a goofy idiot all the while, I browsed the selection available.

When my manager gave these contacts to me he expected me to wear the sets with patterns on them for specific shows, especially televised events, where the crowd at home could get proper close ups of my eyes. Out of the eight different patterns, two of them were just plain colours, one set of red and one of green. He never liked me wearing either of them because they were just 'too plain for the stage', but now, 'too plain' was  _exactly_  what was needed.

I decided on the dark red contacts, since those would work really well with my red and black shirt and dark brown shorts. Figuring the rest of the contacts could be stored away in the bathroom, I moved to the en-suite to find the mirror above the sink, then motioned to place the container holding the rest of my contacts down next to the tap on the edge of the basin. Holding my contact lenses carefully between the tips of my fingers, making up excuses in my head so I didn't have to put them on, I brought them closer to my face. After a while of just holding them up I gave in. Wearing them and even just applying them was not a fun thing to do, but I knew it would help my disguise so I swallowed my apprehension, I had to see how they looked.

While bringing my lenses closer to my eyes and steeling my will to put them in I sighed. This was a process I would have to get used to, since I would no doubt be repeating it for a long time.

With a bit of effort and a small pop, both contacts were in and my soft brown natural colour was concealed by a sharp crimson. Staring at myself through the bathroom mirror, noting that nobody would see the faintest trace of old Brendan in me, save the the tufts of brown hair that sat outside my beanie. Those refused to go back in no matter how hard I tried. In the end I settled for this appearance, happy that the first stage of my plan to become a trainer was complete.

Pleased with my outfit, despite knowing It was just a test and I'd have to take everything off so I could sleep soon, I still felt something was 'iffy', like there was just one other thing missing from my new identity...

A name.

I needed a name for myself. Musing on several normal names like 'John' or 'Alex' only to decide that they were far too mundane left me at a loss, until the most prominent colour of my outfit struck me, reminding me of a jewel.

"Ruby" I whispered to my reflection.

_That's it!_

Not too average, but not too outlandish either, fitting with my eye colour and my shirt. It was perfect! From now on the rest of the world would know me as Ruby and not Brendan.

Satisfied with how my red contacts worked with my outfit I began to take them out, putting them back in their case carefully, I was tired and I couldn't sleep with them on. Happy with both my look and my new identity 'Ruby', I moved back into my room from the en-suite and began to take everything off, placing all the parts of my disguise carefully besides my bed on the large oak dresser next to it. I had gotten past the first hurdle to becoming a trainer, but the second test wouldn't be so easy.

Tomorrow I had to create a plan for fooling the trainer's licencing authority and obtain a licence to train under a false name and with no Identification. The only way to do that was to have someone who could vouch for my identity and ability as a trainer. Finding someone willing to take that risk for someone who didn't have any regular ID to begin with would be hard, if not impossible.

That was a problem for another day however. Exhausted from the twelve hour flight and the following two hours of looking for clothes to disguise myself with I dropped face first onto the incredibly soft bed. Shoving the last piece of clothing off my body lazily as I opened the blanket and snuggled into the sheets.

The knowledge that I would be allowed to sleep in tomorrow without waking up to performing commitments only brought me to rest that much quicker. In no time at all, I was out like a light, dreaming of wild battles and shiny gym badges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the second chapter, like I said I liked having the family issues there for Brendan so I could give him more fuel for character development. This chapter might not be as exciting as the first one but it is necessary to set up for the next chapter, in which we will meet Wally and also switch to a much lighter tone and setting (since we can't be stuck with Brendan level angst or it would get boring very fast). The next chapter might be in third person, though I haven't decided. I have a fair grasp of the actual plot outline for it, just not how to present it. Either way though it will be interesting to see what Brendan will get up to tomorrow and whether or not he can find someone to vouch for him ;D


	3. Stifling circumstances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo readers, Kalkiru here. Guess who has a new chapter for all of you? I do. I promised I wouldn't make this an overly angsty chapter, but that isn't how it turned out. However, to make up for this, the next chapter I have planned with have more light hearted fluff in it and might even allude to a battle between our main protags. Who can say in the end though, guess we will just have to wait and see what happens. While I'm here, I'd like to mention that I give periodic updates on chapter progress on my DA journal or through my FFNet profile page, so if you are ever wondering how far away a chapter is from completion, check those places. Anyways, we get to see a bit of Wally in this chapter, enjoy!

A day like today in Petalburg was nothing short of amazing. For being a city it was strangely never short of greenery; the flowers in full bloom almost all year round. What set this day apart from all the others was how picture perfect it looked, the sky's were a lively light blue with not a cloud in sight. Paired with the afternoon sun's gentle caress of the ground below, the clear, crisp air gave the impression of a paradise. The whole city appeared like it came right out of a fantasy novel; alive and vibrantly radiant, indulgently rich with colour.

It was a beautiful place, picturesque even. Yet one lone soul wasn't satisfied with this particular manifestation of 'paradise'. That soul was me. For all of it's charms and it's breath-taking elegance, this city wasn't anything more than that. I'd long since exhausted it's depth and I couldn't even battle here; with a lack of opponents and my family's looming supervision, I was stuck doing nothing.

Bored, I was just incredibly bored. This place was beautiful yes, and beneficial for my condition, but it had become impossibly dull.

That's really the only thing that was keeping me tied to a place like this; my physical condition. Having acute asthma wasn't exactly the most horrible illness and certainly not the worst to have either, but that didn't make it an easy thing to live with. I had my inhaler, which I needed to stop any asthma attacks in dirtier environments, but here it wasn't necessary. Which, as it happens is exactly the reason my family moved here.

_"Wally, you need to consider your health, you're not like other people. You need to be cautious"_

The scene played out in my head while I walked. Just another variation of the same conversation my doctors and parents would have with me. Apparently curiosity and the need to explore were bad qualities for me to possess. Which, from a logical point of view, perhaps they were. Not that it made the notion of being stuck where I was any easier to swallow.

My family did mean well by keeping me here and I didn't fault them in the least, but if I wasn't dying by physical asphyxiation, staying here would only choke me mentally. Boredom suffocated this town, seeped into everyday life like a poison. No Pokemon battles to watch since the gym was under reconstruction, and no freedom to travel about like I wanted.

'Want' wasn't a strong enough word for this inclination to leave and see more of the world. 'Need' was more accurate, at this point it might even be called wanderlust. Of course, what it was referred to as didn't really matter. I wanted to explore. Travel.  _Live_. The Pokemon league may be my goal, but the journey was just as important.

Of course, life was never that simple; I was pretty short on cash, and It was difficult enough for my family to accept the idea of me running an errand to get supplies from the store today. Let alone leave the city. Despite that, I'd decided I'd leave soon anyway, using this chore as a cover, I was going to buy a potion and two pokeballs. All I could afford with such little funding, but better than nothing at all.

I clutched the remnants of last year's birthday money in my back pocket while day dreaming of all the places I could visit on my way to the Pokemon league. From a noisily busy Mauvile city to the charmingly peaceful Pacifidlog. All of them locations I had yet to explore, filled with adventure; escapades I could be having and battles I could be participating in.

I quickened my pace.

Walking towards the Pokemart with gentle purpose in each step, my bright chartreuse hair flowing softly within the calm breeze, I began to formulate a plan. A crude but simple plot, that gave confidence to my already solid resolve to depart this city. Yes. One way or another, I was going to get out of here.

A subtle grin graced my features at the thought of escaping, which only widened when I reached the door of the pokemart. I stepped through the doorway without missing a beat, knowing that somewhere in these walls was everything I needed to get started.

* * *

I'd have to leave shortly. I was wearing my disguise, but I used my card to withdraw as much money as I could from an ATM I had found in the Pokemon centre. Obviously being a child star had gotten me quite a lot of money, but using my card now would only give away my location. One withdrawal was all I could afford. After that I'd have leave Petalburg almost as fast as I came.

I filled the wallet I had found in dad's house to the point of the seams almost breaking; shoving the excess money into a small pocket on my bag. After that I hauled my ass to this tiny store in the middle of town. If I was going on a long journey, I'd definitely need supplies. The shop itself had only a small collection of items for sale, but thankfully it stocked well on full restores, berries and full heals. Once I finished browsing through all four aisles and taking my pick of the stock, I brought my new-found loot up to the counter.

The clerk behind it gave me an incredulous look.

"Are you sure that you can afford all this kid? Those are all our most expensive items and you have multiples" He spoke with an almost condescending tone.

"More than sure" I replied, with a big shit-eating grin on my face.

To prove the point, I pulled out my wallet, ripped out the mass of cash from where it sat and placed a small handful of the notes carefully onto the counter. My mischievous smile got even wider as the clerk realised that I wouldn't even be spending a quarter of my money on my collection of merchandise. He went pale, as did the green-haired boy behind me in the line (or maybe he was already pale?).

The clerk sighed exasperatedly as I put the rest of my money back, clearly defeated. He began scanning the items while I waited, a smug smirk etched onto my mouth. I turned my head behind me briefly to see the green-haired boy again. From the shocked look on his face I could swear he was close to having a heart attack. It was a reminder of all that fan adoration I used to get, except now I was nobody. Well, an absurdly loaded nobody anyway.

However, something was different this time around. There wasn't any reverence or demand in that expression; it was all just blatant surprise. Much better than being an object of adoration, though I had to admit, it did look a little off somehow.

I turned back to face the shop assistant anyway, who was still busy charging for all the items I handed him. The annoyed look on his face only made me want to chuckle, but then I could hazard a guess that it's not every day he gets some red-eyed, laughably rich seventeen year old barging in to buy half of the most expensive stock available.

Oh well, soon I would be out of here, no licence just yet, but all the items needed to get started. Afterwards I wo-

"Sir?"

I was broken from my thoughts by the very same clerk, his inquisitive tone cutting through the silence. For a moment I thought he was addressing me, but in-fact, he was staring directly past me.

"Sir are you all right?!" This time he shouted.

That's when my attention was drawn to the coughing and spluttering noises in the background. It was coming from behind me, getting worse and much louder by the second. I turned hurriedly, trying to locate the source of the disturbance. Only to find the already pale boy behind me growing even paler and clutching at his chest. He was hacking violently now; taking extremely short, rasping breaths in-between. His lips mouthed out the words 'Help' before he collapsed into a heap onto the floor.

Seconds later, the raspy breathing stopped and the coughing came to a halt.

His eyeballs rolled back before his eyelids closed on them, and from the looks of things he was very close to losing conciousness. I cursed at myself under my breath. This probably started the first time I had seen him look at me in shock. How stupid was I to not notice he was having a coughing fit before now? In reality, only a minute had passed since then, but my daydreams and the shock of it happening had prevented me from doing anything.

Until now.

Despite the mess that was my thoughts I dropped to my knees on reflex and checked his breathing. It didn't help that the spooked clerk was panicking; almost raving next to me, but from what I could gather, the poor kid really had stopped breathing.

"Fuck" I whispered under my breath.

I'd have to do this fast; acting on instinct I drew in as much air as I could and leant forward. Holding his mouth open, I pressed my lips against his from the side and breathed out. Pulling back just as swiftly afterwards, I pushed down on his ribcage as hard as I could. The boy's body was frail and it seemed like I might actually break his bones if I kept applying the force. To be fair, having a broken rib cage was certainly preferable to death so I kept going anyway. I pressed down hard onto his chest one final time with more pressure than the last attempts in the hope that he would wake up.

Still nothing. No coughing and no breathing. Nothing.

Shit.  _Shit_.  _ **Shit**_.

This had to work; I was not about to have someone die on me. I started the routine again, frantically keeping up the same pattern for another minute. Pushing air into his lungs, only breathing for myself whenever I pulled back to thrust my palms down on his chest.

"Come on!, wake up!" I shouted at the pale boy.

The guy behind the counter had since stopped ranting like an idiot and was dialling the local Hospital.

_Well at least he is finally being fucking useful._

Cursing everything and everyone internally, I picked up my pace; soon it would pass the three minute mark. I kept trying, keeping the pattern almost mechanically in order to bring him back. It was taking too long however. If he didn't start breathing soon he might never rise to conciousness again. Desperately I sucked in more air. Holding open his tiny mouth once more, I pressed my lips against his for the upteenth time. I breathed out, only for nothing to happen yet again.

"FUCK!, WAKE UP DAMMIT. DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING DIE!" I bellowed as loud as I could at the green-haired boy.

My rage renewed my determination, I pushed down hard on his chest again and as I pulled up I heard it. Quite possibly the most relieving sound in my entire life thus far. Like music to my ears, I heard him wheeze. Spluttering and coughing, this time he began hacking up a revolting amount of mucous. Regaining breath almost immediately afterwards, his chest began to move up and down gently.

His eyelids fluttered open for a moment. For about the length of a second he appeared to delicately smile up at me. A soft, near in-audible and raspy 'thank-you' escaped his lips before his eyes closed and he once more drifted into unconscious sleep. Shocked, I checked his breathing quickly out of the fear that he had stopped again.

I let out a sigh of relief when I found that he was still steadily taking in the air, chest rhythmically rising and falling all the while.

I collapsed backward, right into the counter next to the boy. Coming down from the adrenaline high of the past few moments, I exhaled out some of the stress that was clutching at me.

"Holy crap..." I murmured to no one, relaxing into the wall at my back as I attempted to catch my breath.

Hopefully I'd never have to do that kind of thing for anyone again. After a solid thirty seconds of rest my breathing steadied. Shakily, I stood back up, head still spinning a little. Mere seconds later, before I could even decide what to do next, the clerk who I had forgotten about shoved the store phone into my hands.

"It's the emergency line for the local hospital, could you give them some details?"

For being so light-headed it took me moment to process his request. When I finally registered it I glared at him, even when he was trying to help he still came across as irritating. I snatched the phone from his hands. The person on the other end was from the ambulance despatch. From the sound of her voice and mannerisms of speech I could guess that she was an old lady, the 'grandma' sort of person. I detailed the situation as best I could, still mentally off-kilter from the stress of my earlier dilemma. My replies were mostly automatic since I was still trying to process the afternoon's events.

"... But the kid stopped breathing for a bit so I don't know if he is ok."

"His name is Wally dearie" The lady said kindly.

Ok, so maybe I was mentally exhausted, but even I could see that if she was correcting me on his name then it was obvious that she must know him. Maybe something like this had happened before, or maybe she was a family friend. Whatever the case though, there were still details to cover.

"Right. Well, he is breathing now, but it took some time, about two and half minutes, and at the end he coughed up a lot of gunk."

The thought of it made me shiver actually, it was kind of disgusting how much the ki-Wally had spat out. Even without that repulsive thought though I was still shaken from the whole thing. If the person on the other end of this phone call could hear the small amount of unrest in my voice then she wasn't making light of it.

"Ahhhh, I see. I'm going to send out an ambulance now. Thank you so much for helping him, but could you please look after him until then sweetie?"

_Great._

I looked down at the pale boy, who I had since propped up against the counter. As much as I needed to leave, I didn't like the idea of abandoning him either. Leaving would have to wait a little while.

"Sure, no problem at all" I sighed back into the phone.

"You have my gratitude dear, Wally sure is lucky to have had someone like you around during an asthma attack like that. The ambulance will be there shortly, thanks again!" She replied enthusiastically.

Hearing the tell-tale beep at the end of the call, I hung up and shoved the phone forcefully into the store-person's chest. I was going to be stuck here a little longer than I had planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fun chapter eh? We don't get to see the shyer side of Wally due to limited social interaction by him here, but we did get to see his silent resolve as well as his motives and his goal. Don't worry I have plenty of headcannons for this adorable green-haired nerd, there is definitely more to him than just exploring the globe.
> 
> This chapter was really dramatic I know, but I felt it was best to proceed this way, it had the most impact when compared to my other two ideas and the story flowed better. Also clever chapter title, so much suffocating symbolism, one could even say Brendan was temporarily 'stifled' by his circumstances this chapter ;D
> 
> Please don't kill me for the pun ^^;; Anyway, see you all next chapter.


	4. Asking for help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo readers!, I have another chapter for you. I do apologise for the wait, but I have been busy as of late, however I managed to get this chapter done before the weekend was up (just). The chapter itself was quite the task, getting this to flow correctly and be balanced while also being interesting was rather difficult and I'm not even sure if I'm 100% pleased with the final product. However, that's probably just my self criticism and it's not helping anyone if I keep this to myself.
> 
> Before the chapter starts though I'd like to take the time to tell you all that I use my end notes to reply to guest reviews if I get any, I also use it as a place for my end of chapter notes (think of it as developer commentary). If there isn't room for the notes and the review replies I will have to cut a reply or two, but I will try my best not to. I love and appreciate any feedback, constructive criticism or praise, doesn't matter, any comment on my work is welcome ^_^

It was strange, the level of care that the ambulance staff gave to Wally, almost like they held a sense of familiarity with him. Tasha was the driver, the one who gave the situation details to. She was incredibly talkative compared to her back seat medic who didn't even seem to regard my existence as we spoke. Clearly he was too busy moving Wally into the back of the vehicle.

"Thank you for helping him." She gave me an enthusiastic smile.

"Well I wasn't going to just leave him... Will he be all right? The lady who I spoke to on ambulance despatch seemed to know him."

"It's happened previously and to be fair, he was introduced to our staff well before then. We got to know Wally because he used to spend a fair amount of time with us. He's kinda like family to us now."

"How often does this happen to him?"

"Not all that often any more. We thought he was improving actually, but attacks like the one that occurred today are definitely not mild. If you ask me his recent fits are more stress related than anything else; the poor boy never seems to be happy these days. However this is the worst I've seen yet, I don't think he's ever been out this long before."

"So you don't know if he will be ok?"

Faint unease worked it's way into her expression; she was definitely concerned for Wally.

"Hard to say, we won't know until we check him back at the hospital"

She didn't sound convinced. I certainly wasn't at any rate.

"... Can I come along?, just so I know he's ok..."

Her frown flipped almost instantly, morphing into the biggest grin I'd seen all day.

"Sure! There's plenty of room in the back with my assistant and Wally. I'm sure he'd thank you for coming along."

* * *

I couldn't really say what possessed me to stay longer. After all, I did need to exit the town sooner rather than later, but leaving now would involve me simply forgetting about the person I had just saved. Not a fact I could easily stomach apparently.

At the very least, I wanted to see him awake and aware again. Realistically I could only give a day to waiting before having to depart, however, that would hopefully be enough time to see that he was ok. It'd weigh on my conscience too much if I just left now, or rather, that was my justification for staying.

So here I was in the back of an ambulance. Definitely not the place I had planned to end up on my first day of freedom. Of course this situation wasn't my doing, but luck had other plans for me it seemed. I spared a glance towards the source of my misfortune, the unconscious green-haired boy. For being so much damn trouble Wally certainly appeared peaceful now. No evidence of any earlier struggles for life were left on his soft features.

He seemed at home; there in the medical stretcher, with his chest moving up and down gently. Ironic really, that he could breathe so effortlessly now after all the commotion of previous events. I'd laugh if I wasn't the one who had to do the saving. Not that my laughter would be well received by the other person in the back of this ambulance other than me and my rescuee.

The medic didn't seem open to conversation to begin with and I quickly learned he just wasn't good for talking at all. The guy didn't really acknowledge me, preferring instead to let silence drown the air in the back of the vehicle. Of course, thinking about it now, I wanted it that way too, because I wasn't exactly a chatot-box right now either. Better to spend yet more time on my daydreams in quiet instead of musing on the vulnerable position of my most recent 'acquaintance' and his ostensibly mute care-giver.

Sighing, I turned my attention outward toward the ambulance's back window. I let my thoughts blur into the scenery as I took in the shifting landscape beyond it; awaiting our arrival at the hospital in quiet, contemplative boredom.

* * *

"Wally!"

Annnnd just like that I felt my torso being crushed. Funny; I was out of air for the second time today.

"Pl-Please let- let go" I managed to breathe out.

"Oh!- Sorry! You just had me worried is all!"

Jennifer pulled back from her lung-crushing embrace. Grey-haired, sporting wrinkles and full of spirit; the typical grandmother. Except she wasn't my grandmother by blood. Still, it didn't stop her caring as much as she did, coming to see me the very moment she heard I was awake, probably leaving her poor assistants to handle everything with the despatch calls while she was absent. I didn't even have time to talk to my rescuer, no sooner had he opened his mouth, she burst through the door.

"You don't have to worry, I'm fine now" I gave the biggest grin I could.

"For now maybe, but don't scare us like that again ok mister!" She said, pinching my cheeks.

"Even if you don't think you need your inhaler any more, you should be carrying it with you. Imagine how worried your parents would be if they were in town right now. They certainly wouldn't let you wander to the store again."

She emphasised the last sentence with a stern look.

Yup, my parents would more than likely keep me locked away from the world for months after this. Which was absolutely dandy considering all of my schemes to escape, I'd have to speed up my plans or risk not putting them into action all. Exactly what I needed, even  _more_  pressure.

I heaved a sigh.

"All right, I promise to keep it with me." I told her, trying to give a fake smile.

Jennifer must have seen through my façade a little, or maybe just my terrible attempt at faking a smile because she was hesitant to move. After a minute of silence, presumably unable to see through me, she got up and ruffled my hair.

"We worry about you Wally, really, I just don't want you to get hurt..."

She trailed off, but grinned at me before pulling her hand back from my now messy green hair.

"Anyway, I should be getting back to the despatch office, Wilson has probably lost his mind while I've been gone."

She leaned in and kissed me on the forehead; her usual ritual for saying goodbye to me, before getting up and turning around. Heading for the door, she uttered a thank you towards my rescuer before opening it and leaving the room.

I'd almost forgotten about him. The rich boy from the Pokemart, the person who saved me during one of my fits. He was tall, probably only slightly older than me and he wore a weird white beanie. Of course, his most striking feature by far was his eyes, they were an unnaturally piercing red. Crimson eyes, not something I've ever seen before in my life. They fit his clothes, perhaps a little too well, it almost seemed like his appearance was a front for something...

"... You keep staring at me like something is wrong."

_Oh crap! I was staring?!_

The thought of being caught staring unintentionally made me blush profusely. My cheeks were probably a brighter red than his eyes right now, they certainly felt that way with how hot they were.

"So-Sorry, I didn-nt mean... I just haven't..." I trailed off.

What was I supposed to tell him? That I didn't get a good enough look at my rescuer before now? Even to me that sounded weird. I needed to divert the topic of this conversation before I came off as a creep.

"Your e-eyes. I haven't seen red eyes before, that's all..."

I spoke while twiddling my thumbs in embarrassment. My cheeks probably the most red they've been in a while. He just smiled backed at me.

"Well, good to see you still have the energy to blush like that Wally." He said chuckling.

Arceus dammit, he noticed. I just wanted to curl up into a ball and hide-

_Wait._

"You know my name?!" I asked in astonishment over my realisation.

"Of course I know, Jennifer told me on the phone while I was requesting an ambulance for you.  _Everyone_  in this hospital knows you."

"Oh... Well, I still don't know your name and you were the one who rescued me... So uhh, ni-nice to meet yo-you, I'm Wally and you are?" I inquired nervously, rosy cheeks and all.

He shifted uncomfortably for a second, kind-of an odd reaction for such an innocent question.

"...Ruby. My name is Ruby."

That sounded forced. Did he not like his name?

"Ruby?... Isn't that a girls name?"

"No. No it's not a girls name." He huffed angrily, folding his arms together and looking away.

Yep, he definitely didn't like his name at all.  _Whoops._  Another stupid mistake, I wasn't getting off to a very good start with Ruby.

"So-Sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude."

He sighed and loosened his posture.

"It's fine, I'm glad you're ok anyway. Now that I know, I can go." He turned to face the door.

"Wait!"

I shouted on instinct, fully realising only a second later how loud I'd been. Ruby turned, a puzzled look on his face, just at the right moment to catch me blushing for the upteenth time as well. Great.

"What?"

The question resonated in the air. Yes indeed, what did I make him wait for?

Well, here was a rich kid who was more than over stocked on supplies for a journey, and here was me; as poor as Cubone. I needed to leave  _today._  The last choking fit ensured my imminent doom the moment my parents came back to town tomorrow. Hell, my grandfather was probably on his way to the hospital right now. Wanting to leave was the dream of yesterday, needing to leave was the now _._

"U-Ummm, if it's not too much of a problem, could I maybe... errr."

Ruby was still plenty confused. Me? Well I was high on anxiety. I'd never met Ruby before, this much was true, but I had to get out of here today if at all possible, and who better to leave with than someone who had given their time to saving me from death. I was convinced that if he had rescued me, he couldn't be a terrible person.

Him being laughably rich and my  _only_  other option besides going solo and scraping together some small amount of cash was also quite an effective motivator. That, and how urgently necessary it had become to get the hell out while I still possessed the freedom to do so.

"Cou- Could I travel with you to the P-Pokemon league?"

Stuttering when nervous was a bad habit; a self inflicting habit that only made itself worse, but at least I managed to ask the question. For his part he gave me an incredulous look, like I had said something exceedingly stupid.

"First off, how do you even know where I'm going, and second, why would I take someone along who's this fragile? I highly doubt you'd make it very far considering what happened earlier. Lets also not forget that we hadn't met before today by the way."

Ok, so he's as rude as he is serious.

"I am not fragile! I just have a condition, a condition I can manage thank you very much."

Like hell I was anyone's liability, or that I would end up becoming anyone's liability for that matter. He seemed shocked to receive that kind of indignant anger from me, but he deserved it. Well, mostly; he still did save my life, however, that didn't mean I was anyone else's responsibility but my own.

"... Anyway" I rubbed my shoulder awkwardly before continuing.

"I  _can_  take care of myself ok? I have an inhaler, and if I became a burden you could just leave me behind, but... I need to get out of here, staying here is what's really killing me. I know you don't know much about me and we did only just meet, but..."

I took a short breath, using the brief reprieve to word my request better. I didn't want to take his help at all, but with circumstances restricting every other option I had pride became a luxury I could no longer afford.

"Please understand that I'd only ask because I was very desperate for the help. I truly don't want to ask at all. In saying that, I also really don't want to spend another day in this city, locked up away from the rest of the world. Being here isn't helping me at all, even if everyone else says it does, you have to believe me on that."

Ruby seemed to consider that statement a lot longer than most other people I discussed this with. Like he somehow comprehended my desire to escape, though I couldn't imagine how he would.

"...All right, but how can you even be sure that I'm going to the Pokemon league? That's a big assumption to make."

"I- It is, yeah. I know you are though, nobody but a trainer would buy that many expensive healing items. Not even breeders would carry around  _thirty_  full restores."

" _Tch_..." His face scrunched in frustration. "Ok, so let's assume I am for a moment. What makes you think I would actually take alon-"

His face lit up mid sentence, like he had hit an epiphany. Which was extremely perplexing given the direction of the conversation thus far.

"You know what, I actually might take you up on that."

Wait,  _What?_

"...ummm excu-"

"On two conditions." His smile returned.

"O...k, so your actually going to let me tag along?" I replied, genuinely surprised.

"Yup, I'll even share my supplies with you."

"REALLY?!" I exclaimed ecstatically.

_**YES**_. Things were finally looking up!

"You haven't heard my terms yet." He chuckled.

"o-oh... uhhhh, so what's the deal exactly?"

"Simple, first you have to accompany me to Rustboro and vouch for my identity so I can get my trainers licence."

"... Hold on, you don't have that yet? But you have to! You can't own Pokemon for battling or even challenge gyms without it, there's no way someone who bought that much stuff has no Pokemon!"

"You're right, I do have Pokemon. Like you said though, I can't battle gym leaders without it. That's where you come in."

Ok, so his red eyes weren't the only thing that was odd. A trainer without a licence. The only way he could have Pokemon is if he was given one by someone, and even then he wouldn't be able to use it to battle. Trainers always showed their ID's before a match, it was illegal to fight without one, even in unofficial bouts. Getting caught doing so meant a hefty fine to anyone involved (not that he couldn't pay that) and Pokemon confiscation.

"How do you have Pokemon if you don't have a licence though? I mean, even I have a licence, mine is more for my personal protection but still. "

"I have one Pokemon, He was a gift, I just want to be able to battle officially, no point going to the Pokemon league without a licence."

Something still seemed a little off. Not in a bad way, though I just couldn't shake the feeling that he was keeping something from me. Still, I was close to gaining his help, now certainly wasn't the time to pry into details.

"Ok, so you want me to attest to your identity for this?"

"Yes."

"... All right, that's fine, if you can help me out of here I don't mind doing that at all."

His face brightened before he spoke again, this time a warm smile gracing his face.

"Well that's good to hear. The second condition is equally as simple, you just have to prove that you won't slow me down."

"I already said I wouldn't be a burden!"

I raised my voice a little for that, no way was I going to be anyone's problem if I could help it.

"Oh I know you did, but you still need to prove it. Who was it that collapsed only hours ago? I need to make sure that if I travel with you, you don't have a health scare, such as the one today, every so often."

"Fine." I huffed, cheeks lightly tinted red.

"Good. Don't worry, it will be pretty easy if you're telling the truth about not being a burden. All you have to do is make it all the way to Rustboro and get through Petalburg woods. If you can do that and then defeat me in a one on one match, I'll consider you capable. Sound fair?"

"I guess so..." I said tapping my chin in thought. "We have to get going right now though Ruby. I don't have a lot of time before one my relatives bursts through the front door of this hospital."

"Well that works for me, I'm actually in a bit of a rush myself, but I'd like to know how you plan on getting past the reception desk and checking out when everyone in this building knows exactly who you are. All of whom are perfectly happy keeping you safe here."

"That's the easy part Ruby." I beamed at him. "We aren't going to pass the reception desk at all, In fact, we aren't even going to use the door."

The look of bewilderment that statement earned me was entirely worth almost dying today, It took a great deal of willpower not to laugh at him for it.

"...Uhhhh, are you sure you didn't lose a few braincells in that last coughing fit? We  _have_ to leave this room in order to escape."

"Oh really? We'll see about that." I chimed playfully as I sat up from the bed and pulled out a minimised Pokeball.

"So, are you familiar with teleportation?" I continued, clicking the button on the middle of the ball and releasing the safety mechanism.

"Excuse me? What? we're just going to warp out of here?"

"Well... more or less."

A mischievous smile crossed my lips as I threw the Pokeball on the floor, interrupting whatever Ruby was about to say in protest. He doubts me now, but he'll see. Shy I may very well be; weak however? Nope, not at all. As the ball landed an Intensely bright white light flashed across the room, forcing away the shadows for a split second before the glow receded back again a moment later. I grinned at my now materialised friend in front of me; his green blades shimmering in the dim afternoon light.

Ruby was gob-smacked.

"You have a Pokemon with you?!"

"Of course, I told you I had a licence. Gallade here is my only Pokemon, my father helped to catch him as a Ralts, originally he was only intended to be a pet to keep me happy. Now he's my protector and loyal friend."

"... So then, Gallade is supposed to 'teleport' us out of here?"

"You catch on quick. He will be getting us out of here, but there is one small caveat. Forsythe can only warp us to a spot within his vision, trying to go any further isn't entirely safe."

"You named him Forsythe?" Ruby laughed a little, inciting my cheeks to flush crimson again.

"I-It's a fi-fine name!" I pouted.

"Sure, there's nothing wrong with it at all. It's just not a name I've heard before." He replied, trying to muffle his giggling.

"W-whatever..." I responded, crossing my arms. "Point is we can only teleport out this building by picking a spot outside the window, after that it's all foot work since teleportation wears Forsythe out, especially since he'll be moving the three of us."

"Well, if it helps speed up our departure, I'm all for it."

"Great. Oh, before I forget, we have to be touching for us to all travel at once, so..."

I extended my pale hand shakily; cheeks growing an even brighter red than before out of slight embarrassment as I offered passage to Ruby. He seemed to consider it for a moment but he grabbed my outstretched hand all the same. Nodding, I placed my hand on Forsythe.

_[_ _Forsythe_ _, I need you to warp us to that oak tree in the distance that's outside our window.]_

The Pokemon smiled back at me.

_{Sure! Tell your friend to brace himself Wally!}_

"Forsythe says you should hold on tight Ruby."

"What? he didn't even open hi-"

Before Ruby could finish speaking, the room was overwhelmed by a dazzlingly luminescent green light. I blinked once. Upon opening my eyes again I found myself sitting under a large tree, Forsythe standing besides me and a poor Ruby sprawled on the ground in front of me attempting to catch his breath and regain his footing.

I looked upwards, leaves falling around me as I breathed in that beautiful fresh air this city was known for. It was last chance I'd have to do so, because it was well past the time I left this quiet town. Now with Ruby by my side, or in this case; feet, my chances of success were greater than ever. Letting out a small sigh, I stood up.

It was time to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was that? A boat-load of dialogue is what that was. Anyway, I was trying very hard to show every different side of Wally in one go here. I needed to demonstrate his dislike for relying on others for help, but most of all his hatred for being a burden for anyone. This and his shyness could be very serious character flaws down the line that I can really use for some interesting plot/char development. You might have also noticed that he is very perceptive of people, I also plan to put this to use (it is my head-cannon that, unlike Brendan, Wally is very in tune with the emotions of others and very empathetic as a result, much like a Ralts actually, for anyone who reads Pokedex descriptions). I was attempting to reach a point where they would agree to travel together naturally so I included some pressure in the form of Wally's family and used the trainer's licence as Brendan's incentive. With those two motivating factors I added some humour, Wally's trademark blushy moments (those will get less and less as time goes on, but they will be around every now and then, he's too adorable to not be doing that every once in a while) and a bit of teasing from Brendan to make it flow better and to add some fluff to what has been quite an unintentionally angsty fic so far.
> 
> You all might have noticed an ability of Wally's this chapter that I decided to use as a teaser for what he might be capable of, just what that is exactly I won't say directly.


	5. Respite of champions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone. I'm back, this time a week early with a MASSIVE chapter for you all (it's 4k even without authors notes, ugh). I spent my week off from work brainstorming with this fic and I have more or less solidified how the first and second arcs are going to run, I have huge plans for this fic.
> 
> Any-who, I'd like to point out that with this chapter, I tried something new for the beginning. I urge you to read all the way through before you judge the whole chapter, because the first half is focused on setting up something important and it needs to be taken in context with everything else. Also, I love hearing from you guys! If you have ideas or you want to comment on how well or badly I've done my job at telling the story of these two dorks so far then please don't hesitate to drop me a review or a PM! Before the chapter gets under-way, it should also be noted for any new readers than I post development updates on this fic on my FFNet profile and on my DA in the form of journals periodically, so if anyone ever wants to know how long the next chapter is going to take, or is taking for that matter, those are the places to look.
> 
> As always, development notes at the bottom of the chapter alongside guest reviews. It should also be noted that this chapter contains slightly more colourful language than the rest
> 
> Anyway, I had a bit of fun writing this chapter, I hope you all do as well while reading it!
> 
> EDIT: I noticed some mistakes and even a sentence from the incomplete draft that wasn't meant to be in the final copy of this work, I have since removed them. A big apology to my readers, I don't know how I let those mistakes slip by

Abhorrent droning woke me from my slumber, dragging me away from dreams I couldn't quite place and shoving me smack-dab in the middle of reality without warning.

_Who on this Arceus-forsaken earth needs me at six in the morning on a bloody Monday?!_

I asked myself inwardly in anger while rubbing my bleary eyes, trying to shake the groggy morning feeling from my head. The chiming of my Pokenav continued mercilessly; taunting me from across the space between the other half of my bed and the dresser upon which it lay. Tempting was the notion to leave it; to ignore it and fall back to sleep, but I couldn't do that. No, I was a person with responsibilities now. Gone were the days where I had the privilege of being able to pretend my Pokenav didn't exist.

I inhaled a long, drawn out breath before resigning myself to my fate. Propping myself up and swinging my legs out of the bedsheets and into the chilly morning air straight after, I started to curse softly under my breath. The swearing intensified when the soles of my feet hit the equally cold wooden floor of my home as brought myself upright. Tired, angry and freezing my ass off; I got out of bed despite every cell in my body crying out for me to stay in between the warm sheets. I hated mornings. Scratch that actually; I hated people who woke me up in the morning.

None the less, my passive death glare I'd been giving didn't silence the ringing, however much I wanted it to. After a second or two of staring at it, I gave up. Sauntering over to the Pokenav on the dresser in the corner of my room; still uttering obscenities under my breath all the while, I considered simply hanging up on the caller. Or at least I did, until I picked the stupid device up and checked the caller ID.

" _Fucking hell, why me?_ " I groaned at the useless thing in my hand.

Not that it cared for my protests, it just kept buzzing; beckoning me to answer. This particular call however was not welcome in the least, the person on the other end of the line was the  _last_  person I needed to hear from right now. Too bad though, because this certainly wasn't a call I was allowed to miss, pissing her off would have catastrophic results. With my hands tied by the bonds of unwanted obligation I clicked the answer button reluctantly.

"So you finally picked up" An annoyed, almost shrill tone struck my eardrum like a knife.

Excellent, so it was her. Of all the people in Hoenn, why in the hell did it have to be  _her_?

"Don't ignore me, I know you're there."

Sour as always; age didn't dull her attitude it seemed.

"... What do you want?" I said in response to her statement.

"Oh come now, don't sound so sad my dear. I only called to see how you were doing." The voice replied, followed by the sounds of snickering.

"Yeah, and I'm flying Waillord." I told her sarcastically. "Now are you going to tell me why you  _really_  called me up?"

"You know my boy, you're no fun at all, I honestly don't know what your better half sees in y-"

"Just tell me what you want, I don't have time for this." I said angrily.

"You have time when I say you have time, or did you forget our agreement?"

_What a bitch._

She still wasn't afraid to hold the gun to my head for her own enjoyment. Sadistic cow that she was, she probably got up this early just to torment me.

"No, I didn't forget, but you didn't ring me to exchange pleasantries did you? You have a reason for calling me, when has it ever been the case that you didn't?"

What sounded to me like the cackling of a witch made it's way through the nav's speakers.

"Well, you've got me there my boy. Fine, I'll cut to the chase. I need you to retrieve my errant son for me."

Errant son?

"Ummm, excuse me? Your what now?"

"Don't act all coy, even you would have heard the news by now, surely" She replied mockingly.

"You know full well I don't keep up with current events Cassandra."

Annoyance seeped into my voice, I didn't want this conversation to continue at all. What I desired was irrelevant though, not as long as she had the information that she did, I was powerless to disagree with her requests. No matter how moronic or inane, I had to abide by this hag's decree.

"Well you're going to have to start bringing yourself up to speed because I need you to find my son and bring him back to me. We have a  _lot_ of talking to do and the quicker you could go about retrieving him the better." She said, sounding almost equally annoyed.

"So you're going to order  _me_ , the busy champion of the whole region, to go on a asinine fetching mission to find your offspring and bring him back to you?" I asked incredulously.

"But of course, Mr. Champion. You're the only reliable contact I have. You've never disappointed me before."

There was a small hint of mirth in that statement and I was sure that if I could see her face I would have been able to catch the disgustingly smug smirk she was likely giving me while saying that.

"Have you ever considered the reason for that is because of the fact that if I did you'd pull the damned trigger and throw me to a pack of rabid Mightyena?"

I was getting even more angry now, even with her request she was still toying with me. Sweet Arceus I hated her. I'd tell her I wasn't surprised her son ran away if it didn't involve me biting the bullet she currently had levelled at me.

"Well, at least I give proper incentive, nothing would get done if I didn't. Either way though, You  _are_ going to find my son and you  _will_  bring him back to me. Use force if you have too, I need him back here so he can sign a particular contract. You have my permission to be a little rough, perhaps he will even learn a lesson or two."

"That's not the kind of thing a loving mother would say Cassie."

"Oh? Is that so? And should the champion of Hoenn really engage in the immoral behaviour that you do?"

"That's not the same! it's not fucking immoral at all!" I shouted down into the device, rage building in my chest.

"I'm afraid the  _entire_  Hoenn public disagrees dear and as far as I'm concerned I agree with them. So unless you want the masses; who are far less forgiving than my benevolent self by the way, to know of the filth you get up to you'll keep you mouth shut. My son is my business and you will make sure he stays that way. Are we clear?"

"... Crystal."

"Good, glad to hear it. Now here's the deal: my lovely child has fled and I need him back to continue with the contest performances. Your task is fairly simple. I'm going to give you the details of his last known location, along with his bank details and a photo. It's your job to use that information to find him and haul him back here before his 18th birthday in three months time. A man with your talents should have no trouble finding him and returning him to me, though I will give fair warning. He has a single Pokemon with him right now, a Pokemon that is likely to try and stop you, if you have to put it down to get to him, so be it."

"You're willing to sacrifice the life of a Pokemon just to have him come back and do a few idiotic parlour tricks?!"

"No, of course I'm not; you are." She snickered.

"Like hell I am!" I yelled back.

"I'm sure you find that idea unappealing my boy, but the consequences for not succeeding are high. We will see how true those words are when you've brought him back." She stated matter-of-factly.

I swore under my breath again. How someone could be this cruel I would never know, but Cassandra was and I was stuck hanging on her every whim.

"... Whatever, just give me the information, I'll start looking today. The sooner I get this done the sooner I don't have to deal with you."

"That's the spirit champ." She chimed with false enthusiasm. "I'm sending the information to your Pokenav now."

"Gee, thanks." I breathed sarcastically.

"Oh, and Steven?"

"What?"

"Don't. Fail. Me. We wouldn't want your poor partner getting caught out by something they don't know anything about, would we?"

This conniving, scheming old bag. One of these days she would get what she deserved. It took all my self control not to shout at her and hang up for that, I held my tongue though and somehow calmed myself before replying.

"... Whatever Cassie, I'm going to look for your lost litter now, and please, for the love of Arceus don't call me back."

"I wouldn't dream of disturbing your search de-"

The nav button clicked as I dropped the call; apparently I hadn't calmed myself as much as I had thought. Running my hands through my face in frustration, annoyed over the fact that somehow, without warning, my life had gotten just that tiny bit more difficult. I sighed exasperatedly. Being champion was difficult enough, but now I had to search for someone else's brat. I'd even have to take off some of my built up leave to find this stupid boy.

I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't caught in some hazy nightmare. Much to my discontent, I was not in fact dreaming right now.  _Great_.  _ **Fucking fantastic**_. I walked back over to my bed and dropped face first onto the mattress, slinging more abuse at my Pokenav as it beeped; alerting me to the fact that the files had arrived.

_At least today couldn't get any worse._

* * *

_Today just couldn't have gone any better_.

Even for a Monday evening it was great. Ruby had agreed to travel with me, I now had a source of supplies and a partner for the journey who was also a trainer. Lucky was an understatement, as far as my current situation was concerned anyway. After all, me and Ruby had just left the city and well on our way to Petalburg woods.

Even so, I didn't know a whole lot about Ruby as a person. Which was rather odd now that I thought about it. I was about to embark of a journey with a stranger; of course it was someone who had saved my life and offered their help, but they were a stranger all the same. Still, there was plenty of time for me to get to know him and I supposed it would be exciting; another fun component to an adventure I'd looked forward to for years.

"Next time would you mind warning me before you launch me into dimensions outside of this one." Ruby spoke, breaking my chain of thought.

I chuckled at him.

"S-sorry, my bad. Though I have to admit, it was kinda funny y'know?" My cheeks flushed a little mid sentence before a grin spread on my face.

"Yeah, well, I'm not laughing, I honestly couldn't tell which way was up after we warped."

"I guess I will warn you next time then." I replied, still maintaining my cheeky grin.

"That'd be the nice thing to do. Anyway, we aren't far from Petalburg words now, considering we passed that shack by the beach, we should be getting close to the entrance. So I'm going to ask you now, do you have everything? We aren't going back to get anything if you don't tell me now."

Technically, I only had the single inhaler that Jennifer left by my hospital bed, about 10 bucks in cash and my only Pokemon Gallade. There wasn't really much I didn't have, though I was definitely missing my sketch book. That didn't matter though; a pencil and paper were cheap, even I could afford to buy something for drawing in Rustboro so there was no point going back for them. Truthfully, I should've stayed long enough to grab my other inhalers, but I wasn't about to double back and risk ruining my chance at leaving for them, even if they were semi-important.

"No, I have everything Ruby."

"That's good to hear, because I don't want to go back there again."

"Neither do I, but if you don't mind me asking, do you ummm..."

My stomach growled. Loudly. Drowning out the background noise of the fields behind us. I started blushing again almost immediately, embarrassment showing clearly on my features. Ruby just looked at me funny and started laughing, causing my cheeks to tint redder still.

"Hungry?" He asked with a soft grin.

My stomach gave another pathetically low growl.

"... Y-Yeah." I said sheepishly.

"Well that's ok, it's been a long day for the both of us. I'll come up with some dinner after we pick a camp spot in Petalburg woods, how does that sound?"

"It sounds awesome, but are you sure? You kinda seem in a rush and all..."

"Well, you're right there, but I'm never in too much of rush that I can't have some decent food. As long as we find a good spot early enough, we should have some time before calling it a night."

"Alrighty, we better pick up the pace then!" I said with renewed determination.

Taking off with a spring in my step, I could see the entrance to the woods from here, and beyond it the promise of food awaited me. A promise too alluring to ignore as I sped up my walking pace. I could hear Ruby shouting behind me, telling me to wait for him, but I was too excited to wait. He'd just have to catch up to me once we entered the woods.

* * *

That kid was crazy, for someone who was knocking at death's door mere hours ago he sure possessed a lot of energy. There was humour in the fact that Wally had such drive despite being so fragile in appearance. What was even more funny was how much he had scoffed down when I handed him his plate. It was impressive. Actually no, it bordered more on the disgusting with how much he managed to wolf down.

All I did was pull out my portable stove top from out of my bag and cook up some pasta, adding some tomato and basil sauce for flavour, both ingredients I had bought earlier at the Pokemart. It wasn't an impressive dish by any means, certainly not anywhere near my best; it didn't even have meat added to it. Yet here he was; destroying the paper plate full of my pasta with a fervour I had never seen before. Either I had underestimated how hungry he really was, or he was trying to feed the monster he was obviously keeping in his stomach. My money was on the latter.

At least my make-shift 'kitchen counter' and the tiny pot to go with it was good. When I pulled the portable stove top out of the garage of dad's house this morning I honestly didn't expect it to work. Luckily, it was small and fit comfortably in the front pocket of my travelling back pack, so I took it with me. Though I hadn't tested it beforehand, the fact that it was going now proved that not only did it work, but it had gas leftover from who knows how long ago. Thankfully it meant we could eat in between cities and on the go. Well, it meant Wally could eat and I could feed on the scraps at this rate anyway.

When it came to travel however, my personal preference was movement via air, but Flygon wasn't big enough to fit the both of us and I needed Wally for my licence. Leaving him behind wouldn't really get me any closer to where I needed to be, even if I got to my physical destination quicker. So I was stuck walking for a while, which wasn't really a problem in terms of effort, but was definitely time consuming.

Speaking of time consuming. It wasn't long before night descended on the woods; bringing with it the cold wispy air and the soft illumination of the moon above. It was beautiful. Being mostly locked up in a city up until now made moments like these special. The way the moonlight gracefully touched the trees and then danced across the small blades of grass gave the scene a peaceful overture. That was to say nothing of the starry sky above; also a sight I rarely got to see. It had a calming effect on me as I set up my sleeping quarters, picking a spot near the tree line.

Wally on the other hand tried to prove his usefulness during this time by gathering firewood and the stones needed to make a pit, before putting them all together for a makeshift camp fire. In this he succeeded, but it was me who ended up having to ignite it with my lighter. We kept it small, to avoid the problem of starting a forest fire, and made sure to clear the area around it. When we were satisfied, I returned to my sleeping bag, slightly guilty for not having one that Wally could use.

I was just about to plug my earphones into my Pokenav and listen to some music when Wally said something.

"Why are you so good at cooking Ruby?" He asked innocently.

"Uhhhh... I'm not?" I said, shrugging.

"B-But the pasta! It was really good!"

His enthusiasm for my cooking caught me a little off guard.

"I think you're only saying that because you were hungry Wally. It really wasn't all that great, it was just something easy I whipped up with what we had on hand. I could do better."

"Really?! You can make even better food?" He replied, his eyes lighting up with cheer.

If I was caught off guard before, I was definitely a little unnerved now. How could anyone think basic food was that good?

"Wally, it wouldn't be hard, that pasta was incredibly simple."

"W-well, maybe... maybe it is for you Ruby, but I found it really tasty y'know."

Right on cue, he started doing the thumb twiddling thing again.

I sighed.

"I'm glad you think so, but don't judge my cooking off of it, you have to wait until you taste one of my better creations. My skills are mediocre enough without that pasta making a mockery of them."

"So I get to try another plate of food that you make?"

"Yeah, if you want, I can show you what I can really do when I get us a hotel room in Rustboro. The rooms will have a proper kitchen, and one night should be enough to prepare something adequate."

"Wo-woah, wait Ruby, you're going to pay for a hotel room for the both of us?!"

"No, I'm going to share the park bench with a wild Zigzagoon." I retorted, rolling my eyes.

"Of course I'm paying." I continued "What? did you expect me to just sleep on a park bench or something? No thanks, rooms are cheap and I happen to enjoy sleeping in an actual bed."

"... Well yeah." Wally stared at the ground before carrying on. "But I didn't... I mean, you don't have to pay for my room and all..."

Was this kid serious?

"Don't be silly, It doesn't cost me much at all and you are travelling with me for the moment. I don't see why I wouldn't. I'm not so cruel that I'd leave you out in the cold."

That was plain as I could put it. Wally clearly didn't like accepting anyone's generosity that he didn't ask for.

"It's just that I don't want you wasting your money on me or anything... I mean, I can just about afford a room myself for one night..." He said frowning slightly.

I slapped my forehead. This green-haired goofball was  _too_ nice for his own good.

"Look, I'm not wasting it, I'm putting it to use and since it's mine I get to decide how to utilize it. If it makes you feel better, we can share a room so it costs less, I'm sure they have a double-room available. How about you think of it as payment for helping me to get my licence instead of charity, like how I'm sharing my supplies with you for it now."

"Ok, I guess that sorta works." He said tapping his chin in thought.

I just shook my head, I'd never met anybody so adverse to receiving simple help. What was the point in arguing against a free room? Whatever the case, the night had dragged on for a while now and I was definitely in need of rest. Given how hectic today's events had been I wasn't really surprised at my own exhaustion. I got up and put out the fire, making sure to leave no embers lingering around. Rummaging through my pack right after, I searched for the over-cover I normally used with my sleeping bag.

It wasn't crucial, though it did make things more comfortable, except this time I had a different function in mind for it. Wally not having anything to sleep on didn't sit right with me, especially given the fact that he was the sick one here and not me. So I threw him the over-cover to lie on; which was a strict improvement over the cold earth, as well as my jacket so he could have a pillow. An imitated and terrible pillow, but still better than no pillow at all.

He was reluctant to accept it to begin with, but at some point the grind of the day had struck him as well and he stopped giving light protests. I was happy for that, it meant even less noise to put up with. Before I could fall into the comfortably hazy abyss of sleep however, there were things I had to do. Which is why I wandered off on the premise of needing to go to take a whizz while he was busy setting up his rag-tag mess of a bed.

Instead of doing that, I reached a small clearing in the trees close to our camp and pulled out a plastic box from my side pocket, a box with a mirror and two cases inside of it. The contacts were inconvenient, but necessary. I'd have to make sure to wake up before Wally and put them on, it could be bad for me if he knew who I was. Though he didn't strike me as the type of person to sell out for money, I couldn't rule out the possibility of him running his mouth and as such I had to keep my identity from him, just like everyone else.

After taking them out and making sure they were sitting safely in their case I headed for the tree line near our camp. Fortunately when I got there I saw that Wally was already lying on his 'bed' and not facing my sleeping quarters. I tip-toed gently over to my sleeping bag, only to get close enough to hear the tell tale sounds of faint snoring.

 _Out like a light before I even came back_ _huh?_

Wally was a lot more tired than I had originally thought. That said, so was I; today was one of the longest days of my life. Fortunately for me, it was about to end. Pulling back the sleeping bag's top layer, I pushed off my shoes and hopped inside it's soon to be warm confines. I would have taken my beanie off, but for fear of revealing who I was, that wasn't something I could do while I was travelling with Wally. Nuzzling my head into the pillow, I felt the full weight of my fatigue strike me soon after.

For the second day in a row, I was out for the count only moments after hitting the hay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, long chapter eh? Yeah, massive, for good reason. Lets start off by looking at the opening of this chapter, many of you should by now know exactly who the two people are in the opener. Brendan's mother, and Steven stone, the champion of the Hoenn region. You must have a hell of a lot questions. Well, I'm here to tell you that Brendan's mother is a very dangerous and powerful woman, she has a great deal of influence within the upper echelons Hoenn's celebrity circuit, you can believe we will be seeing a lot more of her and how much influence she actually holds. You see her abusing some sort of information here to bend Steven to the whim of finding our dear protagonist. What's this juicy gossip you ask? Well, that's something I will be keeping to myself for the time being ;D But understand that Steven has a very good reason to be listening to her.
> 
> Secondly, you will notice that this took place early in the morning, before Wally and Brendan met that same day. I have a reason for doing this as well don't worry. To anyone wondering why I bothered to introduce Steven at all the answer is simple. This fic isn't just for shipping, while our lovable, adorable dorks will most definitely fall for one another, that isn't the whole story. This fic will be covering a lot of things, and will even be including a few more dorks and may even feature a bunch of land/sea obsessed nerds :P If it sounds ambitious of me, it's because it is, I am using this as practice for my writing ability and I intend to make this quite the adventure. However, in saying that, don't worry, while I might give a different characters view point now and then, it will still be told from the perspectives of our two protags for the most part and will largely be about them stuck in the middle of all of this (which ironically will only help develop the romantic sub-plot, hahahaha).
> 
> Speaking of protags, I noticed that I didn't give Wally a unique voice last chapter, if anything, he and Brendan seemed to be interchangeable and that is a regrettable mistake of mine which I apologise for. I have decided to give his speech a more casually nuanced tint to it and I'm also giving him the simple phrase "y'know" to work with from now on. This is to accentuate his middle class roots. Brendan will be keeping his sophisticated speech for humour purposes and also because he is an ex-contest idol.
> 
> Welp, that concludes this ridiculously large end note, thank you if you read this far, I like to include these development notes because I'm excited at the prospect of sharing some of my thought process. It was my intention to allude to important conflict down the road by opening with Steven's view, so I hope that didn't ruin the fic's start for any of you and I sincerely hope the whole thing was an enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing you all next time!


	6. String-potshots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone, I'm going to take a wild guess that some of you are surprised with how often I seem to update this considering my very first foreword contained the warning of "no deadlines". Well you see, I am oddly motivated by this piece, you wouldn't believe the plot bunnies I've been chasing with this one. That said even I'm surprised that I've released the last three updates within 3-5 days of one another. I still won't give deadlines, but I'm gonna try for weekly updates (but don't kill me if I miss a week or take longer, again, I'm only trying for my sake, I'm not promising anything).
> 
> Also, I was browsing fics in the weekend for the Brendan/Wally fandom (Raltsshipping is the name) and I was severely disappointed. Ao3 had just four whole fics stored on it's servers for shipping these dorks. FFNet's situation isn't much better at all either as there are, at best, three other fics that have been updated within the past three months. This fandom also doesn't have a solid basis of fanfics to begin with either. That's really disheartening, because my main ship (my only other OTP) hails from the Naruto fandom, and normally I am spoiled as hell when it comes to fanfics as a result. For this reason, I've decided that I'm going to attempt to take up the mantle of ship-captain for these nerds until such a time as other people add their written works to this glorious ship. In keeping the spirit of this duty, it is with great cheer that I bring you my fluffiest chapter yet.
> 
> That's right, this is heavy on the fluff, because I was serious with the last chapter and you guys need to see more of the adorableness that is Raltsshipping. This chapter is more for my benefit if I'm being truthful however (though I promise you guys will enjoy it too :D), since I am merely filling for my lack of fics to read by making my own, and it turns out that this week I needed fluff.
> 
> Simply put, since I'm gunning for captain, I'm going to ask you guys here and now if you want me to write other stories for these dorks. If you have a particular AU you wanna see, a themed drabble, or other ideas for a written piece that you want someone to write then drop me a PM or contact me on DA/Tumblr/Ao3 etc. Obviously I won't be able to write everything, some ideas won't be my thing and I will be primarily focusing on this story by a large margin, but I'm totally up for contributing as much as I can to this fandom. That includes fanart too by the way, I may be bad at it, but that won't stop me from trying.
> 
> Anyway, with that long-winded shipping pep talk over I'll give the usual reminder that my commentary on the chapter is at the bottom in my end notes.
> 
> Happy reading and I hope this chapter brings a smile to you all!

I couldn't remember waking up so happy before. The makeshift bed I was given, the fact that I was sleeping outdoors and also the cold chill in the air; all of it should have made me cranky as hell. That, or just really tired at least, but that wasn't the case, not at all. Despite all the reasons to feel terrible today the only thing I could make of it was joy. I'd woken up without coughing, without the constraints of safe and secure life my family had wanted for me. The impact of that realisation finally hit me in it's entirety.

 _I'm free_.

Ruby was busy taking a whizz, so there was no danger of him catching the goofy grin that spread across my mouth. Like a soft hum, the feeling of happiness spread, and I just couldn't help laying down and staring up at the wispy clouds as they trailed across the enchantingly azure sky. I got lost in that beautiful ocean blue colour; day dreaming fondly of every place I would visit. Maybe one day I would even get to fly amongst those puffy clouds on the back of a Pokemon and see all the cities from above. The possibilities for the future right now seemed endless, the promise of which was enough to make my smile widen even more.

"Any particular reason that you're grinning from ear to ear?" Ruby said as he crossed my vision, blocking my view.

_Dammit_

I'd been caught with my cheesy expression anyway. Sighing, I got up to my feet and faced my new travelling companion; albeit with rosy cheeks and less dignity than I had hoped for.

"No, not really, I'm just happy is all."

"I can see that." Ruby replied, containing his light chuckling.

I could almost swear he enjoyed teasing me just to get the reaction. Folding my arms while huffing, I tried my best to appear offended, but gave up when Ruby's smile got wider.

"I just... I haven't felt this able to do anything before y'know? I know that it sounds stupid, b-but...-"

"But you feel like no one is holding you back from doing what you want any more?"

Ruby was no psychic, hell, he'd only known me for one whole day, but that was painfully accurate.

"Uhhhhh, how'd yo-"

"Intuition." He stated matter-of-factly with a tiny smirk. "Anyway, we have to get going, my licence isn't just going to appear out of no where. Could you help pick up camp?"

"... O-oh, sure! No problem!"

The enthusiasm I had for today just couldn't be contained. My asthma felt far away as I took stock of camp and our surroundings, the forest itself being bathed with pale yet warm sunlight; granting the whole area a faint aura of radiance. It gave me energy, gave me life. Life which I brought to the task at hand. At first Ruby was surprised at how quickly I packed my end of camp, by the time I'd come over to help his side of things though he was less surprised and more thankful than anything.

In less that thirty minutes, we were ready to get going. Being on the move again, I didn't so much walk as I did follow behind Ruby; I was still too overjoyed with life to care about where we were headed, only that we were going somewhere. To fill the time on the trip out of Petalburg's woods we talked about our only Pokemon. For a long while I was blabbering away about my Gallade, how amazing he was, how he was understanding and protective but distant enough to let me choose my own way of doing things. It seemed like a while since he last spoke actively so I thought Ruby just wasn't the type for conversation.

Until I asked him for his Pokemon's nickname.

"Flitter?"

"Well, it's not as fancy as Forsythe, I'll admit." Ruby said with a cheeky smile. "But Flitter has been with me for a while and the way he moves in battle is... well, it's mesmerising. Sometimes I don't even know if I should bother giving him commands. That's where he get's his name from, the way he darts about."

"So he can dodge really well?" I asked, curious to know more.

"It's not not just dodging, it's... everything. I honestly can't explain it, I'd have to show you in a battle Wally."

"Hmmm, I still don't understand, but I guess a battle to find out is- AHHH!"

I jumped what felt like five metres into the air and fell flat on my butt. Something had rubbed against the bottom of my leg unexpectedly, scaring the hell out of me in the process. I looked around frantically ofr a few seconds to find what had just spooked me. Around the time I found the source of the disturbance was about the point where Ruby burst into a fit of laughter.

"Hahahahaha! W-Wahally, yoou- Hahaha!"

Ruby clutched at his sides while trying to breath. Me on the other hand, well I was the most humiliated I'd been in a while. Why? Well the thing that caused me to jump was now looking directly up at me. It wasn't a demon, or a ghost, in fact it wasn't anything sinister at all. The thing that frightened me so badly was just a Wurmple. A tiny, insignificant little bug Pokemon was what made me lose my composure.

My cheeks flushed, matching both Ruby's clothes and the Wurmple's body in colour. I could still feel the pounding of my heart from the rush of fright, even as I was attempting to calm down, though I couldn't say the same for Ruby. He was in hysterics over my embarrassment, which only made it that much harder to regain my normal heart rate and suppress the blushing.

"O-ok, I get it. You can stop now Ruby." I told him half grumpily.

The red-eyed boy just kept laughing, which only made my cheeks flush some more; deepening the shade of crimson. Wurmple on the other hand had taken to crawling into my lap; once there it took a quick glance at me and at my laughing friend before giving me what could only be described as a frown. In the following moments our respective situations flipped upside-down

Wurmple reared it's head and fired a string shot right at Ruby's laughing face.

His shocked reaction warped the the string as he flailed and caused the tiny thread to tangle. Ruby toppled backwards, his laughter ceasing almost immediately. That didn't bring silence to the scene however, purely because I began to crack up myself. Now it was my turn to chortle; with a a mile-wide grin I kept up my giggling fits in between small bouts of coughing.

"R-Ruahaha- Ruby, I- Ha! I'm sorr- Hahaha!" I couldn't contain it, It was just way too funny.

Unfortunately, my fellow trainer wasn't as amused as I was in the least. I felt bad for him, but that didn't stop me from laughing. Eventually, my amusement incited a proper hacking fit. I felt it build at first; a small irritation in my throat caused by mucous, but it became more prominent with the passing of seconds, growing into a blockage of my airways. Before long it reached the point where I could barely breathe. A familiar sensation greeted me like an unwanted guest; a severe lack of air. The panic of an asthma attack dawned, in seconds, my giggles turned to rasping breaths; I was having another choking fit.

Ruby recognised it almost immediately and rushed over, despite being tangled in string. Wurmple pushed at him at first, but presumably realised that he was trying to help and eased off.

"Wally! Breathe!" He told me, leaning down on one knee before shaking me by the shoulders lightly.

To my credit I tried my hardest to abide by that request, though it was difficult. For a few moments it felt like I wasn't making any progress; that I was going to end up blacking out again. The determined concern I saw in Ruby's crimson eyes egged me on however, begging me not to lose out, so I kept going, kept forcing air against the wall of mucous in my throat. After a brief period of uncertainty I felt my breath return stronger than it was, fighting off the mucous and forcibly clearing my airways, making tiny grunts all the while. Clarity hit my agitated lungs soon after.

My breathing normalised, though my heart-rate certainly wasn't back at it's resting pace; earlier struggles and Ruby's proximity saw to that. Ruby's face settled into a softer version of his last expression once he realised that I was breathing steady, still marred with concern of course, but less urgent and more serious. He got to his feet and stepped back from me. Strangely, I regretted him leaving; with his distance came a lack of the modicum of comfort I had gained due to his closeness. A comfort that I wasn't even aware I was taking. A comfort which, now that I realised existed, left me with a faint rosy tint on my cheeks and a small feeling of loss for not having it any longer.

The thought itself was very odd, but I shook it from my head, waiting for Ruby to say something.

And say something he did.

"... Wally, that's the second time now, I'm worried. Are you really sure you're able to go all the way to Rustboro?"

"Y-Yes! I'll be fine! I... I got carried away with laughing that's all, I just forgot to be careful y'know?" I replied, shrugging awkwardly while doing so.

Ruby sighed before he began wiping off the silk he was covered with.

"...Fine. I suppose it wasn't your fault to begin with, Wurmple did cause this whole thing..."

He turned his accusing gaze to the Pokemon I had forgotten.

"O-OH! that's right!" I exclaimed loudly.

Looking down, I took in the appearance of the cause for my laughter and subsequent coughing fit. Adorable. That was the only way to put it. The Wurmple may have caused me trouble but it was super cute and it seemed friendly, more so than I would expect from a wild Pokemon.

"Hey little guy. Having a good day?" I said while petting the Wurmple's head

"Wurmple!" It cried back at me enthusiastically.

It was so happy and cheerful despite being wild which only lifted my spirits. I kept petting and turned my gaze up at Ruby, who from the looks of things wasn't as excited to see such a friendly Pokemon.

"Why isn't attacking? It's not a very threatening wild Pokemon, it doesn't even care that it could be caught or hurt." He spoke with a raised and questioning eyebrow.

"Maybe it wants to be caught?" I responded with equal curiosity.

"That's silly, what Pokemon  _wants_ to be caught?"

"Well... It couldn't hurt to ask." I told him before turning back to the Pokemon in my lap "Wurmple, do you wanna join us? is that why you approached us?" I asked with a warm smile.

The Pokemon nodded and nuzzled into my chest affectionately, occasionally cooing it's name. I was ecstatic, a Wurmple wanted to join me all on it's own. Staying calm was impossible at this point, I was far too overjoyed.

"Wow, I've never caught a Pokemon completely by myself before!"

"Technically, it caught you." Ruby said with a smirk.

I just folded my arms and huffed again. A catch was a catch as far as I was concerned, but catching meant that...

"Wurmple needs a nickname!' I shouted to no one in particular, my smile growing just a little.

My travelling companion just slapped his head while I started brainstorming. After thinking on it for a little a lot of the names in popping up in my head didn't quite fit and after a minute or two I was about to just give up. That was until inspiration struck me, conjuring a name that would fit my new Pokemon perfectly.

"Xavier"

"... Excuse me?" Ruby raised another inquisitive eyebrow at me.

"That's what I'm going to name him, Xavier."

Just like that, within the span of seconds, Ruby broke into giggling fits again. He probably would have continued for a while too if not for Wurmple firing another silk salvo at my unsuspecting companion. He fell backwards in tangled string for the second time today and I started giggling on cue. This time I was more controlled; taking care not to over-do my amusement. I brought myself to my feet; still chuckling as I did so, while picking up Xavier in the process. Cradling the Pokemon gently, I began to walk towards the other trainer. Though it was definitely a funny situation, I felt a tinge of guilt, I didn't mean to have fun at Ruby's expense, even if he deserved it a little.

Outstretching my hand, I helped him to his feet. Regardless of having fallen over he didn't appear to be in a bad mood, hell, Ruby even had a smile on his face as he got up; though it disappeared quickly once he was upright.

"We should probably get a move on." I said to the red-eyed boy gently.

"Agreed. Just promise me that you won't let...  _Xavier_ shoot me me with a stringshot again."

"D-Deal." I responded feeling the blood rush to my cheeks again.

"Good. Now..." Ruby scanned the area around us. "... The exit to this forest is just past here from memory, I'll check my Pokenav on the way to be sure though. Let's go Wally."

Without another word, he strode off and I followed in tow; buzzing with unabashed excitement over making yet another new friend, and soon, having a new town to explore.

* * *

 

It had taken the better half of the day and it was now late afternoon, but me and Wally had finally reached our destination. Rustboro city; home of the Devon corporation, Roxanne the stalwart and one of the three trainer licencing offices in all of Hoenn. It was here that my journey would really begin; this was the city where Brendan would truly die and Ruby would take his place. Of course, I also had to beat Wally afterwards in keeping my deal, if I didn't I was stuck with him. Still, if I was being honest with myself I'd admit to enjoying his company, but I was impatient, the pace was far too slow on foot and I really wanted to soar in the air with Flygon. Winning that battle was necessary for the sake of speed.

That contest of skill was tomorrow's problem however, today was for getting the licence and relaxing. After all, there was no large amount of time left in the day itself. It was late afternoon; around 6pm if my Pokenav was to be trusted, the licence offices would be open until 8pm and with that task complete there would be hardly any time left at all. The  _perfect_  excuse to rent a Hotel room and bring back all the small comforts I had missed while sleeping in the woods. First I'd take a hot shower, wash off the dirt and the sticky remnants of Wurmples earlier assault. Then it was all about food, I was going to cook up a storm tonight; a feast, so determined was I for good food that I picked up pace the moment the Pokemart came into view.

Wally was certainly surprised at my display of enthusiasm, but he caught up all the same. After entering then quickly browsing the food and ingredient selection, I brought my edible loot up to the counter. Tonight I was going to concoct the most delicious, disgustingly fattening and amazingly rich lasagna the world had ever seen. The glory of my inner machinations spurred me on as I left the Pokemart; ingredients in hand and Wally not far behind.

I decided to get the licence processed before checking in at the Hotel for a room. The building wasn't far and it was important, begrudgingly more so than my food anyway. In order to get the licence without a birth certificate I had to have someone who would assume the responsibility of my identity who also possessed a licence themselves. Should I get caught masquerading under said false identity my guarantor would be charged with fraud alongside myself. In most cases a hefty fine and a temporary six month confiscation of each offender's Pokemon could be expected as a result. Part of me felt guilty for this. Wally likely believed that I actually was Ruby and that I needed help to obtain it, but in truth; as much as I hated the fact of the matter, I wasn't.

If I screwed up, he would pay for it just as much as me, a detail I didn't take lightly. He was too kind; innocent even. It felt wrong dragging him into my troubles and I even half considered stopping the process all together. Sadly, after Wally gave his official statement, signed and dated under the supervision of the local Pokemon league representative it was beyond too late. Even with my indecision on the matter, I had let it happen and I couldn't take it back. Potentially by tomorrow he wouldn't even be travelling with me any more, despite putting his neck out on the line so readily for me.

I'd make it up to him though, if tonight was possibly his last night with me, I'd put that much extra effort into my lasagna. He may have liked the simple pasta, but I was going to knock his socks off with what I had planned. He obviously deserved far better than I could give in repayment, but that wouldn't stop me from trying. Of course, I'd also be paying for the best separate double suite available, for his benefit and mine, so food wasn't the only draw here.

Even so, when we checked in thirty minutes later I was quite surprised at how cheap it was. Perhaps my ready access to funding tempered my sense of cost, but I wasn't giving more than chump change compared to my expenses in Petalburg. Then again, paying for thirty full restores and whole bunch of other high-end medicine would usually carry the bigger price tag. Wally on the other hand seemed to think it was quite a lot of money, just inquiring for the price stunned him, never mind the actual payment itself.

True to his word previous, even if Wally thought it cost a lot, he didn't protest to me buying the room and followed along beside me. When we finally reached it on the upstairs floor and stepped inside a smirk crossed my lips, when I asked for the best I was as sceptical about their best even being good enough. Seeing it now proved my doubt was definitely unfounded. The room had the traditional soft whiteish-grey pallet to it that you'd expect of a hotel room, but the beds, though separate, were massive. It also came with a leather couch, a flat-screen TV fastened to the wall and what I assumed was the kitchen, hidden away through one of the two small doorways at the edges of the room.

I checked my Pokenav. The clock read 8:10pm, we had taken slightly longer than I had anticipated.

"Wally, I'm going to get started on dinner, could you put my bag next to my bed?"

"Huh? Sure, no problem Ruby." He said back with a smile.

With that, I was off to the kitchen. The space itself was set up well and I was pleased with quality of the equipment they had stocked in the cupboards. I pulled all of the things that were needed out of said cupboards and started with making the white sauce. The bolognese sauce was covered since I had bought it from the store; along with the mince, cheese, spinach leaves and pastry sheets, so it wasn't necessary to make them from scratch. White sauce on the other hand I would have to make myself. Not that it was hard; adding the butter and flour I had prepared and measured swiftly to one of the pots, making sure to place it on the stove's upper right stove element. Turning up the dial for that element, I left it on a gentle heat for now while turning my focus to oven. Preheating was necessary for this so I cranked the dial to one-hundred and eighty degrees before setting about preparing the tray I was going to use.

After meticulously preparing every detail for later on, I moved back to the pot. Though it needed a little bit more time when I got back to it, eventually the butter melted and I added the milk, along with a teensy amount of grated nutmeg and mustard powder. Stirring it gently while mixing in my additions slowly, the sauce began to thicken over time, and soon enough it reached the creamy consistency I was looking for. To be sure of it's quality however, I tasted it. It was rich, amazingly so, and it's texture was regular and just creamy enough to linger, but not too saturated to ruin it. I filled with pride over the result. The sauce was nothing short of perfect, it had achieved the standard I was striving for.

Satisfied, I mentally ran through the next few steps while giving the sauce five minutes to rest. Once that time was up and I was sure I had everything ready, I poured a portion of white sauce into the base of the tray; taking care to spread it evenly. Layering the pastry and mince in alternating patterns with both the bolgonese and white sauce, while also throwing in a few spinach leaves and a pinch of salt for added flavour.

It looked amazing once all the layers were in place but that didn't mean it was done. I sprinkled a small amount of finely grated cheese on the top layer; making sure to cover the top of the tray with a spread of foil roll, and checked the oven which was thankfully done pre-heating. Opening the oven door, I placed my glorious creation inside and mused over how good it was going to taste. Even though I was doing this mostly for Wally, I couldn't help but salivate at the idea of eating something I'd put this much attention into making, it had been a while since I had been so diligent with my cooking after all.

Then again, the actual cooking of it was the most boring part of this whole affair, the lasagna would take at least forty minutes to cook through. Plus, after that I'd have to take the foil off and let it sit in the over for another fifteen minutes. Dinner wasn't likely to come around for another hour at best and I didn't feel like watching paint dry; or in this case, cook, so I took off my apron and headed back into the main room.

Though what I saw when I got there certainly wasn't what I had expected. I had predicted Wally would get bored and turn on the TV; contrary to that belief he had a pen in his hands and was scribbling away on the pages of a what appeared to be a blank book. I inched closer to take a look at just what it was that had him so absorbed, was he drawing or was he writing? I couldn't tell from the doorway, but I wanted to know.

Upon closer inspection just over his shoulder I confirmed that he had indeed been drawing. What I couldn't have known however, was exactly how amazing he was at drawing. The picture was of Rustboro in the middle of the night and what appeared to be a Salamance flying over-head in the dim moonlight. Everything about the drawing was captivating; his line work was thoroughly detailed and even done in pen, the shading and colouring serving only to accentuate the details. His portrayal of this Rustboro on paper lent the city a vibrant livelihood and yet at the same time, an oh so profound calm that it normally lacked. I wanted to know more, to ask him how long he'd been doing this, how long he'd had this level of talent.

So I slowly made my way around the couch and sat down, being careful not to disturb his hand movements. For his part, he looked up fleetingly, almost questioningly even, before returning back to his work.

"Wally... You're really good at drawing. Not just good even, that piece of art right there is amazingly detailed." I spoke to him softly as I sat down.

He looked up again, this time with slightly tinted cheeks and a smile that could rival the sun for warmth.

"Th-Thanks Ruby, I'm glad you think so! I just got bored and I decided I'd draw Rustboro, I actually really want to draw every city we get to visit y'know."

Curiosity's grip on me tightened.

"Why's that?"

"Well, you see..."

He put his pen down and started to twiddle his thumbs as usually does when he gets nervous.

"I kinda have an illness, and this illness could end up causing me to die. I've sort of accepted that I might not get to live as long as everyone else, but I don't want it to be for nothing. So I draw, I draw what I see or what I desire to see. My wish is for people to look at these one day, as memories I've managed to leave behind, so people can look at the world the way I do..."

Wally gave a crest-fallen look after his explanation, which was odd, because I'd never actually seen him this sad before.

"I know... I know it sounds stupid, but I'd love it if everyone could see the wonder in the world around them. Knowing I could kick the bucket at any point makes me appreciate what I already have an-and... What I might miss."

To think, someone so cheerful was keeping those kind of thoughts. It was true enough, though Wally wasn't in any immediate danger, his condition was quite the spectre. If it never cleared up then possible death was more likely to rear it's head at him than at the average person. Fate could have been a much crueller tormentor of course, but having that hanging over your head and being kept more or less captive and away from the world would have affected anyone. After seeing Wally this depressed, I was fairly certain I never wanted to see such a sad face from him again. This particular green-haired muffin-top had been  _the_  embodiment of the sunshine so far; full of nothing but spirit and happiness. I wanted him to stay that way, as selfish as it sounded.

"Look. I know you have a lot to worry about and sure drawing is a great way to cope, but how about instead of drawing because of that looming shade of yours, you draw because you enjoy it. Annnnd also because you're really skilled at it and I want to see some more." I told him.

That last sentence caused my cheeks to redden a little which probably softened my smirk, but it was true. Wally was an amazing artist as far as his current piece was concerned. He probably noticed my slight blush, because, as if on cue, he brightened up. Banishing the forlorn gloom almost immediately from his expression.

"Thanks Ruby. I might just take your ad-"

He was interrupted by a low growl from somewhere. His stomach to be precise.

"Jeez, hungry again are we?" I said teasingly, my smirk growing wider as my cheeks paled again. "Well, You'll have to wait again unfortunately, my lasagna is going to need another thirty-five minutes."

"T-That's ok. If it's anything like that pasta, It's a safe bet that it'll be delicious y'know."

"Hmph, if you say so. How about we watch some TV first and wait? Because I won't accept any praise until it's actually finished and eaten."

"That's fair I guess, I'll just have to draw in between commercials." Wally said, picking his pen back up.

In turn, I picked up the remote and began channel surfing. There wasn't really a high chance of decent shows being on at this hour, however, half-assed comedy or drama was marginally better than staring at the stove for a half hour, that's for sure. We settled on a documentary on the habitats of Slakoth. A riveting work, full of information and facts I clearly needed to know if I ever wanted to have such a lazy Pokemon. Still, despite it's rather pointless content, it did pass the time well. Before I knew it, it was time to go back into the kitchen and take the foil of the lasagna.

Of course, I had to remove the foil cover and let it cook for another solid fifteen to twenty minutes, but that too passed in a flash thanks to that very same documentary. When I finally brought my hard work to the couch with plates to serve it on Wally's smile grew so wide I could have sworn it was tearing his mouth at the edges under the strain.

"O-Oh wow, Ruby it smells  _amazing_." He spoke, practically drooling over the food I had laid on the coffee table directly in front of him.

"And that's not all, wait till you taste it."

My voice carried a small hint of cockiness, though it couldn't quite mask my nervousness. The lasagna cut smoothly and after moving the knife away the white sauce oozed out of the upper layers, which along with the smell, only added to it's appeal. I served it up on two plates and gave Wally his half. Those pale blue eye's of his lighting up even more when he received it. Eagerly, he picked up his fork and took that first bite. The test of whether or not I had cooked it properly had arrived.

"Ohhhh myy gawsh, Ruuuubeeeeeeeeeeee!" He squeaked with his mouth full.

His cry of delight caught me off guard, but not anywhere near as much as the speed with which he was now devouring my masterpiece. How this kid could eat that fast was a question I'd never have an answer to, but it gave me great confidence to know Wally liked it. Normally I didn't care for other people's opinions, mostly because they always seemed to want better. Wally was an exception to this, the reason for which I couldn't fathom right now, not that it mattered since the 'why' was irrelevant.

The point he'd made was simple enough: he was definitely in love with my lasagna. A fact exemplified by how quickly he finished it, cleaning it up in the third of the time it took me to eat my half. The lasagna was a resoundingly huge success, even by my own standards. It had been a very long time since my food had reached my expectations for quality.

With our bellies full, Wally's drawing complete and nothing much to stay up for, we both settled in for the night. I made sure to be the last one in bed as well, since I had to take my contacts off in the bathroom and hide my eyes from my green-haired companion. With that usual routine covered I meandered lazily over to my bed and took off my shirt and shorts, leaving my bag and clothes by the bedside cabinet. Afterwards, I slowly crawled into the covers. Soft bedding being a comfort I had missed the previous day, I was going to take full advantage of this opportunity by changing around my sleeping position until I was one-hundred percent content.

Upon reaching that singular golden point of sublime magnificence, I stopped; finally letting my exhaustion take over. Tomorrow was going to be a  _very_  busy day.

And I had to meet it head on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader, Feeling all mushy from the cuteness overload? If not then I clearly wasn't trying hard enough with my fluff and I promise to do better next time. Any-who, you'll notice with this chapter that Wally 'caught' a Wurmple. Would you believe me if I said that wasn't part of the original chapter at all? Because it wasn't, the Wurmple triggered fluff-pocalypse was an entirely spontaneous Idea I had while I was at work during the week (alongside other spontaneous ideas that have really begun to shape this progression I have in mind for this story). After letting it play out in my mind, Wurmple quickly became a good enough plot device (and later a character) for me to use, so I added it for this chapter.
> 
> And yes, I am purposely giving Wally the quirk of "I like fancy Pokemon names", for several reasons. Those reasons including (but not limited to): Humour, motive for Brendan/Ruby's teasing and to add more intrigue to Wally's character.
> 
> You might have also noted that I was quite detailed when describing how Brendan/Ruby cooked his Lasagna, I needed to give depth to one of his hobbies and that is why I elaborated in a way that would build the scene, but I kept it short enough that it wouldn't detract and bore you guys (or rather, I hope I didn't. If I did then let me apologise for that as that wasn't my intention). In much the same vein, I needed to elaborate on Wally's hobby, but since it wasn't in his perspective my ability to do so was limited. Expect more story on his drawing skill later (it's for character depth, but it is also an important detail later on, though I won't spoil anything).
> 
> I'd like to point out that with this chapter, my fic has reached the 20K word mark (excluding Forewords/end notes), this is a big milestone for me and I'm glad I've come this far. Any way, I'm going to bow out again until next chapter. That said, if you guys liked this one, or didn't, let me know that you did and why in a review or a PM. Praise gives me joy and criticism allows me to improve my writing so you guys can enjoy my work more, so don't be shy!
> 
> Until next time readers!


	7. Stirred and on the rocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Sorry for the small delay on this chapter. I wanted to get this out yesterday (and thusly, on time, well, on my time anyway) but I didn't expect the easter weekend to be as ridiculously busy as it was. I had done most of the ground work during the week for this chapter but I had very little time to flesh it out during the weekend due to social commitments (believe me it was insane, I'm hella tired while writing this). Also, to add to this, this was the first time I have written an action-y sort of scene. It certainly didn't help that the scene wasn't done from the actual fighters perspectives, since I couldn't write it from a Pokemon's perspective and instead had to do it from the two human participants. I'm not going to lie, it was challenging to get it right, and the time constraint certainly made it difficult, but I enjoyed writing it (even if it didn't turn out exactly as I wanted it to).
> 
> This story is, after all, my first piece, and therefore is akin to practice in most regards. A staging arena of sorts where I can put my writing skill to work in order to improve it. With all that considered, this is a good first attempt, I'm happy to say the Wally vs Roxanne/Ruby battles will be even more action-packed than this short one, for both the sake of my improvement and for my ambition for this story.
> 
> As always though, guest review replies at the bottom in the end nots, and let me know if If you enjoyed (or hated) this chapter and why in a review or PM. I enjoy reading them all, they help me to improve and they let me know if I'm doing my job correctly.
> 
> Anyways, with that spiel out of the way, I'll let you guys get to reading. Have fun readers!

Today was making me really nervous. Contrasted by the peace of last night and the satisfaction of the lasagna Ruby made, this afternoon would be pretty hectic. It wasn't how much there was to get done, but more so what it was I had to do today that gave me a case of butterflies this morning.

I had to best Roxanne  _and_  Ruby in a Pokemon battle today.

Not once before now was I given the opportunity to battle someone else on my own, and though I certainly had a trick up my sleeve that could help with that, it might not be enough to cover for my in-experience. Roxanne was bound to be a tough cookie, simply for being a gym leader. Ruby was more a mystery, since I still hadn't even seen his one Pokemon yet. It was anyone's guess how those battles could go; favour suggested the better prediction was obviously on those two however.

The most important battle today; at least in my mind, was the one with Ruby. I enjoyed his company too much to just be left behind. We'd only been together for a day two days at best and yet he was easier to talk to than most other people I'd interacted with. He was also kind enough to share his Pokemon medicine and Pokeballs with me; all he asked in return was for some help getting a licence. I wanted to continue travelling with him, hell, I'd really wanted a proper friend for a while now. Ruby fit that bill perfectly so far.

Sure he wasn't as cheery as I was and he certainly had a more sarcastic touch to his humour, but that just added to his... Well, his charm. It seemed odd for me to put it like that, though in saying that, there really wasn't any other way to describe it. Ruby had a charming personality and I wanted to get to know him better.

That's why today's battle was  _that_  important. I could fight Roxanne whenever, and I could even get a rematch if I failed. The match with Ruby was different. If I lost to the crimson-eyed trainer then he'd take his leave of me, permanently, as per our deal. I'd be left on my own again, without someone to talk to on my journey. Before now I'd only considered the leaving and adventuring, I'd never given thought to the in between, to the idea that I could share that kind of journey with someone else. Until recently I was fairly content with just escaping.

That changed in short order. After being given a taste of the fun that could be had when exploring with someone else, I didn't want that taste to dull or disappear. I wanted to keep travelling with Ruby. Determined was I to become friends with him, but willpower alone wouldn't see me through battle, I'd need to be strong.

Information couldn't hurt either, which is exactly why I wanted to let Ruby challenge Roxanne first. There was no question about it, if someone like me was to win today, I had to know how he battled. His gym challenge was the closest I would get to an exhibition match and though I had a good reason to watch for detail, the possibility of a great battle had me a little giddy with excitement, regardless of it's importance.

Of course, spectacular sounding battles aside, the gym itself was impressive enough without the grandeur of an amazing fight. It was more a museum than anything else, with fossils kept in glass cases lining the walls it was hard to believe that it was even a gym at all. Until I got a look further in. The back wall of the building was solid rock, and embedded in that rock was the largest fossil of a Pokemon I'd ever seen.

"Woooooaaaahhhhhh, Ruby! Look at it!" I said enthusiastically, vision filled with the wonder in front of me.

He rolled his eyes at me but smiled all the same. I just went off and stared at the 'exhibits', soaking up all the information and learning of the Pokemon these lifeless rocks once were. The rocks and samples along with the text plaques held my fascination for quite some time, for a brief period I had even forgotten about the important battles ahead of me. At some point during my ardent quest to learn everything this gym had to offer it's guests, a woman wearing a sharp black dress and an oddly spiky red tie. Even before she spoke, the appearance gave her an air of authority and I felt a little intimidated by it.

"Challengers I presume?" She asked Ruby with a smile.

"Indeed we are, I take it you're Roxanne the stalwart?" He answered back.

"I am yes. I'll be your opponent today, and the opponent of your friend too?" She raised her finger and pointed at me.

"Good question." Ruby turned to face me. "Wally, will you be battling Roxanne as well?"

"Of course!" I shouted a little too loud. "... T-that is, if it's ok with her, I-I'd like to battle too." I continued sheepishly, my cheeks a little red.

Roxanne just chuckled, Ruby seemed like he wanted to do the same.

"It's definitely alright. I've actually been quite bored, I normally get rookie trainers fresh out the gate of Littleroot town. Here's hoping you prove a little more difficult than the rest." She replied with a playful smirk.

"Oh we'll definitely bring a challenge, don't you worry about that." Came a cocky-toned reply from my travelling companion.

"Hmph. We'll see. Either way, care to tell me which of you will be fighting me first?" She asked with a slightly more serious tone.

Ruby turned to look at me again, expecting an answer. On the one hand, I wanted to go first and demonstrate how strong I really was. On the other, I wanted to see Ruby's Pokemon and how he fought so I had time to come up with a battle plan. Strangely, the need to win against Ruby came before my own pride.

"Uhhh... is... is it ok if Ruby goes before me?" I inquired, twiddling my thumbs.

"Sure, though there's no need to be shy young man. You'll be fighting me soon you know, best to be confident about it. Anyway, this way to the arena an- Ah! Silly me." She slapped her forehead lightly, her own cheeks flushing a little. "I almost forgot. Hand me your trainer ID, I need to register this challenge on the League's database."

The red-eyed trainer just ahead of me pulled out what I originally used as payment for his help to get this far. It was just a flimsy card and nothing more, but it was necessary. Without it, official challenges wouldn't happen at all and amateur battles would be risky. In response Roxanne pulled out her Pokenav; a slightly different model used for data collection, and scanned the cards unique EV code on the back. A beep came out of the device a second later.

"So, Ruby, it seems you check out. I'll scan your friends card when it's his turn, for now though, lets just get to the stage shall we?"

Without another word, or even a glance to acknowledge we were following, Roxanne strode off. To say she was confident would have been the understatement of the century. She walked with poise, her nonchalant gait gave the impression of someone with experience, despite her age. In reality she was just barely older than us, probably no more than twenty, but that did nothing to dull her self-assured attitude. It made me feel small by comparison; Roxanne exuded more self-confidence in one step than I managed to to give off all week.

That wasn't the only thing that made me feel feeble either. In following her, Ruby walked with a purpose, a determined stride that left me behind in the dust. A battle between those two was a must see, especially if they were both so sure of their own abilities. Then there was me, the meek and sick misfit.

The idea that they seemed stronger may have daunted me, but it also gave me a reason to want to try. They probably thought I was incapable, that a fight with me would be a walk in the park. I wasn't going to let that stay 'true' for long. Feeling all my determination build in my chest, I picked up my pace. Before today was over and done, I was going to give the both of them a demonstration of just what I could do in battle. It might not be much and I certainly wasn't practised, but there was no way I was going to just lay down and lose.

Especially since the consequences for losing meant being left on my own.

* * *

My blood was boiling with anticipation. Me and my opponent were standing opposite each other in the huge arena, overlooked by the giant fossil on the wall, and I just couldn't wait to get started. It had been quite a long time since I last had a proper battle with anyone; mother had seen to that, but that didn't matter a single bit now. Because I'd practised in secret enough to get my bearings, tie that in with all the lessons my old man gave me when I was younger and my faithful Flygon, and there was no way I'd go down without putting up a hell of a fight.

Not that I intended to lose to begin with, after all, I was aiming for the league. Still, at the very least, I'd be giving Wally an amazing fight to watch and Roxanne a reason not to smirk. That thought alone was enough to get me pumped up some more with excitement.

"So, trainer, how many Pokemon am I to battle you with?" Roxanne shouted across the arena, interrupting my thoughts.

"I have only one." I yelled back.

She merely nodded in response and pulled out a Pokeball from the bag at her feet.

"Alright then, since we're only going to use one, I'll have to bring my A game. Probopass, go!" She bellowed out

Roxanne tossed her Pokeball at the floor a few metres from where she stood, her Pokemon emerged in a flash moments later. It was Probopass, a sturdy rock/steel type that looked every bit as confident as it's master appeared to be.

_Well, we'll certainly put that confidence to the test soon enough._

I thought to myself as pulled out Flitter's Pokeball from my own bag. Without a word, I tossed as far forward as I could, catching the tell tale flash of the ball crossing my vision as I straightened back up from the throw. A screech filled the air as dust was kicked upwards, settling quickly, revealing Flitter to my opponent.

"A dragon type huh? And a Flygon no less. This will be fun after all." She yelled at me with a smirk.

"Oh, you don't even know the  _half_  of it." I shouted back, giving a shit-eating grin in kind.

"Ohohoho, A little cocky aren't we? Well, why don't you show me what I'm missing. Probopass! Rock tomb!" She said, giving the first command of the battle.

Probopass hit the arena floor with enough force that I felt the tremor it made, before it scooped up and flung large chunks of debris a split-second later toward Flygon. The rocks came down with a crash but didn't make contact. Flitter was far too fast for that, hell, even I struggled to catch his movement during that attack. To her credit, Roxanne didn't seem fazed in the least.

"Heh, and speedy too, well, let me fix that." She spoke with another smirk. "Probopass, split and let's see him dodge multiples." She said calmly to her Pokemon, pointing at Flygon with her left arm.

_Split? What did she-_

As if to answer the forming question, the little unit's at Probopass' sides flew away from the main body and all four pieces of the Pokemon hummed. After a brief moment the faint humming stopped and all of the splits along with Probopass itself crashed straight down into the floor with more force than last time. I almost fell over as all of the pieces flung massive rocks, bigger than last time even, directly at Flitter.

"Dodge them!" I shouted out at my Pokemon.

_Crash. Bang. Boom._ The attacks landed milliseconds after one another, striking the arena floor with enough of an impact to break it's surface and leave behind small craters. Much to Roxanne's annoyance however, none of them struck the mark. Flitter's speed proving to be to just enough to avoid the attack, though it definitely came close to catching his wing as he was darting away. That was two attacks down, if all her moves were this slow then it was a sure win; The possibility caused a smirk to tug slightly at the corners of my mouth.

"If this is all you've got then I don't think we will be here for very long." I told her with a smile.

" _Hmph_. Don't get so full of yourself. If I can't pin your Pokemon's speed at range..."

Probopass and it's units gathered while she talked, once finished the Pokemon took off with startling speed.

"... I'll just have to get up close and personal." She shouted, just as Probopass collided with Flygon's left foot.

I was speechless. It was far faster than I had expected, even worse that it had used a head-butt without a single word from Roxanne. Her Pokemon was trained to act based on commands other than just vocal requests, which meant I had to regain my footing fast or the balance of the battle would tip back in her favour. Not that Roxanne gave me or Flitter any time to recover.

"Probopass, pin it down!" She cried out.

Her impassioned voice shook me from my momentarily shocked, yet thoughtful daze.

"... F-FLITTER! MOVE AWAY FROM IT!" I screamed out toward the middle of the battlefield.

But it was too late. The swiftness of Probopass and the wordless understanding between it and my opponent had ensured her move got through. Two of the units had split and were now holding down my struggling Flygon's wings, the other was locking down the leg that wasn't hit earlier. Probopass' main body was pinning Flygon's torso, ensuring it couldn't move any longer even if the side units weren't there.

Roxanne began chuckling.

"For all that confidence, it seems you don't have much experience. You shouldn't let down your guard in battle, not for anything." She said with a serious tone. "Anyway, if you've nothing more to offer me then you won't mind if I end it now. Probopass,  _Hyper beam_." She spoke in a dismissive tone, flicking back one of her ponytails in the process.

_**Fuck**._

Probopass began charging and I had less than a few seconds to come up with a way out. Without missing a beat, I formulated a desperate plan to tip the scales back in my favour, it wasn't likely to succeed but if I didn't do anything then Flitter would eat a point blank H-beam.

"Flitter, Use Dragon breath on the ceiling!" I bellowed out.

True to my command, Flygon immediately aimed for the arena roof and sent a massive flame-infused gust of breath careening towards the top of the building. The attack struck the rocky roof with enough force to to break some of the stone off, causing it to fall;  _exactly_ as I hoped it would. Roxanne's horrified expression in that moment said it all; if her Pokemon didn't move, it would be hit by the falling rocks alongside my Flygon, pinning them together.

" **Probopass, get out of the way right now!** " She screamed.

Just what I was counting on: she was concerned enough to order it to shift, causing the Pokemon to cancel it's imminent hyper beam and retreat, thus giving Flitter it's speed advantage back. With Flitter free to move again (albeit with a damaged leg), it darted away from the impact point milliseconds before the first rock hit the floor with a deafening  _crunch_. My precarious position reversed and even footing restored, I came to the decision that now would be the best time to go on the offensive.

"Flitter, show our friend here a few...  _parlour tricks_." I ordered, confidence returning despite my shaky voice betraying my earlier panic.

There was no need to say anything else, though the lack of proper command certainly confused Roxanne; that is, if here face was anything to go by. She wasn't the only one with ambiguous commands. True to routine though, Flitter wasted no time and without so much as a warning he was directly behind his attacker mere seconds after moving. As much as I wanted to drink in the stalwart gym-leader's expression, there would be no opportunity to do so. No sooner had he reached his destination did my Pokemon start flapping it wings wildly, managing to kick up a massive sandstorm in the process. Trapping the Probopass in a sand-tomb.

It dawned on my opponent fairly quickly that now there was no eye-contact to be had with her companion.  _Game, set and match._ It didn't matter what happened now, my Flygon possessed experience running solo, her's seemed far too dependant on her cues, subtle or overt. Since there wasn't a conceivable way for them to communicate, the fight seemed to be well and truly mine.

"Flitter, you know the drill." I yelled across the gap, shrugging and letting my smirk settle in once more.

My Pokemon flew into the raging sandstorm in the middle of the battlefield; it's eye lenses and powerful wings ensured that it could move and see in such harsh conditions. The same couldn't be said for the poor Probopass. Roxanne's look of dismay only fed my own glee.

"Probopass!  **Get out of there now!** " Came her cry of panic.

"It's useless." I interjected plainly, shrugging all the while. "Your Pokemon is trapped and mine is the only one here that can move in that kind of storm." I stated with an insouciant tone.

"P-Probopass can handle it." She spat back, her self-assured façade faltering.

I just stayed silent, replying again would get me no where and would be a waste of time. It was much easier to just wait patiently, I'd let the outcome speak for itself; that is, if the faint thuds in the sandstorm weren't indication enough already. Not that I had to wait long, the sandtomb died off within minutes; crashing sounds included. Of course, the outcome was hazy for a little longer, since the dust was settling back onto the floor, however, once the silhouette of my Flygon standing triumphant over a massive shadowy blob became evident there couldn't be any further doubt.

I won.

The Probopass had passed out. It's owner gazing at it forlornly, sadness pervading her once confident features; I could feel some small measure of guilt. Not enough to convey it outwardly though, the joy of victory saw to it that the only expression I was capable of, was a mile-wide grin.

Roxanne returned Probopass to it's ball and then meandered toward me in a depressive fashion. Arriving moments later, just a little bit after Wally who had since left the spectator area. Up close, I could see the dejected expression that replaced her previously cocky smile; it was almost pitiful.

"Well... Look likes you did win after all challenger. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting you to be so familiar with your Pokemon, or even that skilled. Your card was dated for being issued yesterday, I truly thought you were new to all this." She spoke, her down-hearted tone wrapping around the words softly.

"It's true that I did get it yesterday... But I do have a lot more experience with Pokemon than you think I do, that's a fact. Flitter has been with me through quite a lot." I told her.

"How though? You only just yesterday received a licence, you couldn't have battle experience." She asked, emphasising the last sentence with a suspicious frown.

"You're spot on. I don't have battle experience, but it doesn't mean that I don't have... other experience with Pokemon. My Flygon has been with since I was a kid too, I might not have battled with him before, but we've known each other for ages. It shouldn't be all that surprising that we performed so well." I said matter-of-factly.

She still seemed suspicious of me, but there wasn't really anything she could say about it. I had given my reasons and she lost to me all the same regardless.

"Fine. Either way, this belongs to you now." She said irritatedly, shoving a badge into my chest.

"Thanks." I responded, bringing my hands up to grab the tiny pin.

"U-ummm, Roxanne?" A tiny, near in-audible voice resonated from behind me.

The gym leader turned her head to face my green-haired friend, confusion marring her last downcast expression, but not removing it entirely.

"Yes?"

"Is... Is it ok if I use only one Pokemon as well? I don't think my second Pokemon is suited for battle..."

"Huh? Yeah, that's fine, but if you only use one then you only have a single Pokemon separating you from defeat. If you lose you have to wait a day to challenge me again, those are the league rules after all. If you have a second, I'd recommend you use it, but it's ok if you only want a one on one fight."

"Oh... Well, I'll fight with just one anyway. I'd have a hard enough time fighting just  _one_  of your Pokemon y'know, never mind a second." Wally said, beginning to blush. "You two are really good by the way. Like, insanely good." He continued, his eyes lighting up with admiration.

Roxanne's smile returned due to that honest compliment.

"Thanks! I definitely try. You're friend was just a bit much for me today unfortunately. That's old news though, I'm eager to see how someone like you battles, given how strong Ruby is you must be pretty good yourself if you're friends with him." She said, smiling at Wally warmly.

The green muffin-top went his usual shade of red, clearly he wasn't prepared to be given a compliment in return; I had to work hard to stifle a chuckle because of it.

"T-thanks! If you d-don't mind me asking though..." Wally began his thumb twiddling (What a silly habit). "...Wh-what Pokemon are you going to use?" He inquired nervously.

"Probopass of course! Though I'll have to give the poor thing an hour in the healing station, Ruby did a number on my Pokemon and he'd need time to recover. You guys should wait in the museum section until Probopass is ready to go again."

Wally didn't need to be told twice to go back; he loved the museum exhibits to begin with, and I guessed with some small certainty that he was nervous. Nervous enough to be happy that he had time before his match. Personally, I thought it was kind of cruel to make him wait, especially when Roxanne was way more formidable than she appeared.

I wasn't too sure Wally had it in him to win. Sure, his Gallade wasn't a Pokemon I had seen battle before, so I couldn't hold too much conviction in my prediction, still, he couldn't possibly have all that much experience. I got mine from contests and working closely with Pokemon like Flitter all my life, but Wally was just a small town kid who's family was paranoid. There was no way he had any time to practice battling. Though I wanted him to win, the odds certainly weren't in his favour.

All the same, the next match buzzed with the possibility of seeing his Gallade in action, and I couldn't wait to find out how someone like him battled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was my first action based scene? Did it flow well? Personally if you ask me, I'd say I wasn't completely satisfied with it, I don't think my action was immediate enough and the scene itself didn't last very long. But I can only improve with each subsequent scene, and due to this being about Pokemon, there will a lot of action in the future. We don't see much character development this chapter, but we do have enough to advance our understanding of them (at least when it comes to battling anyway) as well as a few little details I have thrown in for later.
> 
> You might also have noticed my little piece of humour with the 'ev' code on the back of trainer cards. This is a massive pun on both EV points (an invisible stat system in Pokemon games) and the Pokemon Eevee itself. For reference the codes are based around and look like the QR codes we see in real life. Anyway there are a tonne of other things I really want to talk about, but I'm not going to spoil anything. I will however say that you peeps are going to love the next fight, if only for what I have mind for it and how it affects the Wally/Ruby match up when they battle.
> 
> I really hope you all had fun reading the latest chapter, believe me when I say the second one might be a tad more interesting than this one though. Anywho, until next time, さようなら everyone!


	8. Latent potential

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there peeps! This one took a wee bit longer than anticipated (wanted to post Friday, but now posting Sunday) but for reasons other than me having social/work related commitments. You see, I didn't feel like I had properly delivered on the action in that last battle. To be fair to me, I did need to demonstrate that Ruby/Brendan wins battles with speed, skill and precision, as well as clever strategies, so naturally his battles will be less action-y and more nuanced. Still, I didn't like that it wasn't really all that active. Which is why I decided to pull out a few headcanons and creative liberties for this next battle.
> 
> You see, Wally doesn't have experience, he doesn't have implied commands or fancy tricks he can pull when it comes to battling someone else. However, he does have a psychic type, a fully evolved Gallade in fact. Now I've been playing around with a couple of headcanons regarding Pokemon and the abilities of each type and I have decided that I can add a whole other layer of action, interaction and diversity to the battles, characters and plot if I introduce a few new things to the make up of a battle (like special attributes/abilities based on types or body make up, like how Roxanne's Probopass can split up it's mini units or that it has endurance due to being made of rock).
> 
> You guys have already seen one, and that's implied commands. Pokemon are smart creatures and I think it's not a stretch to assume they could do this. In much the same vein I am giving Wally a potent ability as far as battling goes related to psychic types and his own empathetic character. I think you guys will love not only the action generated by this, but also the way it could be used to affect his character, I also made sure it wasn't a broken ability. You might think it seems so, but at the end of the day, Wally has zero experience battling, even if he can do what he does here, this *will* hinder him, even in this battle it will be highly evident that his ineptitude could cost him if he slips up. I can also tell you that he isn't the only person who can do this, and in this chapter you will see what I mean. He also won't win every fight, naturally, but I'm not going to say which ones he will win or lose or even what I have planned for future battles (you'll have to read for that haha)
> 
> I have to explain this now because I'm not sure if you guys will like the idea of me being creative with Pokemon fights here. I think giving types/Pokemon abilities related to how they work and adding moves/implied commands to that makes battles hella more interesting than my characters saying "Do X move" and then "Dodge" in sequence for a long period of time. I believe it will make my actions scenes not only engaging reads, but also fun reads in and of themselves.
> 
> That said, if you guys don't like me taking said creative liberty, or if you don't want to see what I have in mind for other types of Pokemon and you just want me to be simple about it then tell me. I don't want to ruin the fun for you guys at all, so if any idea presented in this chapter does or doesn't appeal to you, please let me know!
> 
> Either way though, I hope you enjoy reading this one, because I had so much fun writing it.

The previous battle shook me up; that Ruby kid was good, almost ridiculously so for someone who only got a licence yesterday. It's not every day you see a trainer who just got in the game sporting the same level of prowess as me. Very few people train with commands that aren't direct requests, it takes time and discipline to train a Pokemon to react to implied commands via simplistic audio cues, a lot more than just yelling out a move. Therein lies the advantage, if it's not verbally decipherable then the opponent has less time to react. For novice battlers, those few milliseconds are negligible; anyone wanting to be the best they could be however would definitely need to give it thought.

And that kid certainly had.

Not only did he possess the ability to think on his feet, but he had clearly trained a lot too. His potential was impressive, maybe even League worthy. That said, I was glad that my next opponent wouldn't be so problematic. The shy boy named Wally. He wasn't confident with himself in the least; as far as I could tell from interacting with him earlier, he was too shy and soft-spoken for battle, he didn't even look all that physically capable either. I was convinced the next match was a steal.

That was, until I returned to the arena, facing him as my next challenger.

Even at this distance, I could tell quite easily something changed. He looked intimidating.  _T_ _errifying even_. His normally soft face was contorted with determination, and what I thought was a hint of anger. The air he was giving off was so damned different from the boy I saw before. His pose eerily mimicking that of his Pokemon on the field; upright, arms at the side and stare that could bore holes into the back of your head.

What a Pokemon it was too, a Gallade of all things. Who knew a kid like him could have a Pokemon this rare, this imposing. Ralts were hard enough to catch, let alone a male Ralts, and that's to say nothing of the dawn-stone required to evolve it. There was clearly more to this boy than I originally thought, especially if he could actually hold this determination of his in battle. I shuddered at the prospect of the coming battle.

_Looks like this won't be easy after all._

"Well then, I'd better not keep you waiting." I began, clutching at a Pokeball in my dress pocket. "So, let's get this started, Probopass! Come on out!" I shouted as I tossed the ball out onto the field.

It hit the rocky floor a metre ahead of me with a dull thud, flashing the area with a white light upon impact; my faithful friend appearing not a second later.

"I hope you're ready Wally, because I'm not going easy on you!" I yelled to him again, this time with a smirk.

He didn't say a word back; if anything his resolute expression deepened, causing my smirk to falter briefly. Until I steeled my own resolve, after all, there was no way I was going to be intimidated by this green-haired kid, no matter how much his attitude changed.

"Probopass... Let's kick it off!"

Even before I finished my command, Probopass sped off, it knew from my enthusiastic 'kick it' that I wanted it to close in on our opponent for a stone edge attack. Just one of the many less overt commands it recognised from me. It'd be interesting to see if Wally shared his friend's skill; shared my skill.

He didn't. Less than that actually, he didn't even speak, not a word. Gallade began to move anyway, seemingly without direction.  _Charging directly at my Probopass_.

_What on earth is that Pokemon thinking?! He hasn't even told it to do that!_

I shook my head as Probopass zoomed in for the collision, novice trainers should learn to discip-  _He_ _vanished?!_ I looked around frantically in panic, the Pokemon disappeared in green lights mid-dash and mere seconds before contact. Probopass stopped too, halting it's movement to search for it's now missing target. My poor Pokemon never found it in time.

_**Crack** _

The sickening sound of rock breaking under the immense pressure of a psychically endowed blade. The moment was only milliseconds in length, but it played out before my eyes in slow-motion. I had seen it all, seen the Gallade reappear in a blur behind my Probopass, seen it swing it's massive glowing arm-blades into my Pokemon's stony back. Then, after hearing the singular point of impact ring out; that blood-curdling fracture, time returned to normal. My Probopass was sent flying. Hurtling the length of the arena and colliding into one of the stone obstacles on my end with a obscenely loud crash; shattering the rocky pillar.

"PROBOPASS! ARE YOU OK?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

That Gallade was a fucking monster, that was not an ordinary attack; no way was that thing normal. I was at a loss, speechless, hoping only that Probopass was all right. Fortunately, luck would not be so cruel as to end a match with one move it seemed. Probopass emerged from the rubble, heavily damaged, scratched to hell and disorientated, but still capable of battle. A relieved sigh escaped my lips; rock Pokemon had amazing endurance, I never should have doubted my Probopass.

And then I heard it.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to hit so hard!" Came a familiar squeak from across the arena.

It was my challenger, who's look had considerably softened(though not entirely). At first I was dumbstruck, it was the only thing he'd said throughout this whole battle. It was the first time he even resembled the boy I met at the door. When given time to think over it though, his words baffled me.

_He didn't mean to hit that hard? He wasn't even in control of it, hell, he hadn't even told it to strike my Pokemon..._

Something was up. Did he use commands that were only audible enough for Gallade to hear? It was possible, given how close they were at the start of the match. It'd be a stretch for me to catch a whisper from that distance and that explanation lent credence to that attack. Still, for Gallade to even be able to hit that hard...

"Roxanne, if it's ok, I'd like to continue." His voice rang out again, much more forceful than before, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned my gaze from Probopass to him, this time he appeared just as stern as he was earlier. Arceus, how that expression unnerved me. The whole look was surreal. I couldn't let him catch me being impressed though, I was supposed to play the part of gym leader and there was a battle to be won. Though it seemed more difficult now, I was confident that with strategy, me and Probopass could pull it off.

"T-that's fine with us, right Probopass?" I said, shaking off my unease.

A faint electronic-sounding murmur hummed through the arena, the closest to a 'yes' any of us would get.

"See? We'll continue, it'd be bad of me to not show you  _every side_  of my Pokemon before the battle is done anyway."

Following my obscure command, Probapass became aware of my plan. I wanted him to split off his mini units discreetly, and attack from the Gallade's blind spot while the main body kept it occupied. The crucial part of this plan Probopass couldn't understand however: it was all a ploy. I wasn't sure how this kid was directing movement yet; if he was giving barely audible commands, or even if he was commanding at all, I certainly couldn't tell right now. By attacking a blind spot I was sure to surprise him, hopefully enough to reveal how he was conducting this battle. Failing that even, such an attack should be effective enough to hopefully level the playing field.

My confidence returned for the first time since the match began and a smirk took over my mouth.

"Probopass, show him what we've got!" I yelled out.

My Pokemon sped up, using swift (as swift as a flying rock could be) movements to disguise the fact that one of it's mini units had dug into the ground and was burrowing toward our intended target. Wally's expression steeled and Gallade started to move.  _Just like last time._  He didn't even speak and still the Pokemon was acting, surely he whispered or gestured, he had to have done something, anything. I still didn't catch it though, however he was doing it, but at least he was predictable; charging at me just like he had moments ago. Really, if it wasn't for the my inability to figure out how he was giving orders I probably would have won already, these weren't experienced battle manoeuvres at least.

Probopass was set for intercepting Gallade in his unsurprising dash again, but this time the mini-unit would unearth and attack Gallade's blind spot before he got close enough to strike. I grinned at my own genius; If Gallade was acting on it's own then there was no way out, if it wasn't then it was far away from it's trainer that the green-haired boy would have to use an obvious command. Something I could see or hear at least.

The moment arrived.

With a soft crack, the rocky earth behind Gallade opened up and speeding out of it came a mini-unit. In no more than a few seconds, it overtook Gallade's running pace and aimed directly for it's back.

It's going to hit. _It's going to hit. **It's going t** **o** **\- MISS?!**_

No. Fucking. Way.

Gallade teleported at the last moment, anticipating the mini-units attack perfectly from it's own visual blind spot and warped behind it. For the second time in this battle I heard a revolting  _crunch_  as Wally's Pokemon swung it's blades at the mini-unit in mid air, before landing. The force of the swing sending the mini-unit careening straight into Probopass.

The unit hit with little warning for my Pokemon and emitted an extremely loud thud; knocking my Probopass of it's course and causing it to fall. I was speechless; the boy, my challenger, didn't say a word. Not even a  _single_  fucking whisper or gesture to indicate danger. Gallade couldn't possibly have known it was about to get hit and yet it dodged it, avoided it like it was as clear as day.

But there was no time to think about it, Gallade was on the move again.

"Probopass get u-"

_Bang._

Dust flung up into the air, obscuring my view of both Pokemon. The disturbance caused by a well-aimed nightslash; the dark energy exploding, sending out a  _massive_  shock wave on contact with my Pokemon. Hysteria wasn't an adequate word to describe how I felt as the empowered air knocked me of my balance, but it certainly fit.

"Probopass!  **Probopaaaaasss!** " I shouted erratically between breaths, regaining my footing.

I  _needed_  to know he was ok; that attack was beyond insane, I wasn't even the target and I  _felt_  how strong that was. My Pokemon was at the centre of that blast and for the first time in a while, I was wholly in awe of a challenger.

_For someone with so little experience to have a Pokemon that strong..._

But that terror induced admiration didn't last long; Probopass came flying out of the dust cloud looking beaten to within it's limits, but still very much alive. Arceus bless rock type's endurance, I was still in this fight. More so than that in fact, since Probopass was preparing for a counter attack all on it's own.

_Charging a zap cannon eh? Naturally, it was never like you to just give up._

I could feel a smirk coming on, almost a smug grin even. My guess was that Gallade was still caught in that dust cloud, and while Wally had no sight, Probopass decided on scorched earth as the solution. Still, Wally hadn't even shown any signs of commanding that nightslash, it was beyond confusing, but his non verbal battle style I had seen somewhere before. Now if only I could put my finger on where...

A flash of light burst out from the dust cloud; a tired looking Gallade teleported out. Sadly for him though, it was already too late; Probopass had charged up enough to tip the scales if it shot the zap cannon now.

"Probopass, fire!" I shouted triumphantly.

As if in response, the ball of crackling energy left my Pokemon's magnetic field and was propelled forward at an astonishing speed. Aimed squarely at one of the blade arms of Wally's Gallade. The Pokemon turned around, seconds too late however, for once it came to face the electrical ball it was millimetres from impact. Such a fierce attack would have dealt an amazing amount of damage to most Pokemon, and it did just that in this instance. The attack struck it's mark and scorched Gallade's left arm; sending out shock-waves of electricity on impact that discharged into the ground, but not before coursing through the body of the poor Pokemon.

A scream rang out into the arena, a disturbingly loud and anguished cry of pain. For a moment I thought I had gone too far, that Probopass had put to much energy into the attack, however, the source of the noise wasn't Gallade, as much as it should have been.

It was Wally.

The green haired boy was kneeling on the ground, clutching at his left arm, grunting in agony as if he'd been stabbed by a knife. It was then that all the pieces fell into place, one by one. The realisation hit me like a freight train: this boy wasn't verbally commanding his Pokemon at all,  _because he didn't have too_. Him and Gallade were using a battle technique I had only seen one other person perform this well in my entire life; a technique so incredibly hard to pull off, even for experienced psychic type users.

_He was in a psychic link._

That would explain how Gallade could act without any movement or acknowledgement from his trainer, how Wally's demeanour changed so drastically once he had Gallade on the field. To be in a psychic link required two minds to merge as one over a psychic channel created by a Pokemon; both of them would become a mixture of each other for as long as the link held up. Not only did the link change their personality a little, it allowed them to see through the eyes of the other, and for Wally to wordlessly give orders. No, order wasn't the word; acting was. Wally was as much in Gallade's body right now as he was in his own, the fact that he had reacted to that attack without even being hit proved that. That, and prior knowledge a particular trainer friend of mine had given me on such links.

To think, that soft-spoken and shy boy was capable of quite literally fighting within the body of another, co-operating with said other even. What was more horrifying though was the level of mastery both of them had over said connection. Wally had to be ridiculously sensitive to psychic emanations to feel Gallade's pain to such a degree, especially physical pain, and Gallade's willpower had to have been unbelievably strong for him to maintain a link after taking so much damage. Remarkable, simply incredible. I'd never seen such a bunch of odd challengers before, especially not a duo who could psychic link with same level of proficiency as S _teven and Atropos_.

"Aggghhhhhh!" Came another cry of pain from the poor boy, breaking my train of thought.

The zap cannon's residual charge had yet to dissipate and Wally was still being affected by it via the link, and though no real physical harm had been done to him, I was still worried for the boy.

"Um, we can cancel the challenge if it's too much yo-"

"N-NO!" He shouted, voice quivering slightly. "W-we will- nnngh!-" He shuddered before struggling to his feet again. "We wil-ll continue, we'r- aghhh!- we're f-f-fine." He stated, fierce expression returning.

Him and Gallade were still bad shape thanks to the zap cannon, but he wasn't conceding. Either he was brave enough to face the pain or incredibly resilient to it, because if I was in his position I definitely would have thought about waving the flag for now. It wasn't just him either, Gallade showed no signs of backing down, they had both come to this resolution.

I shook my head.

_Silly idiots._

"Alright then, if that's the way you want it..." I spoke, while taking stock of Probopass.

Given the amount of cracks and general damage around his body, even for being a a rock type, we had, at best, one more attack before he was done. He had sustained far too much harm, that said, so had Gallade. In theory, one move was all either of us could take.

"Probopass, let's finish this off quickly, Use power gem!" I shouted, waveringly.

It was dangerous for Wally to maintain a psychic link and I was reluctant to attack, especially given how hopeless his situation was, but he asked to keep going, and as a gym leader I had to continue the match. So, continue it I did. It wouldn't take long, just seconds to for the power gem to crash into Gallade who appeared paralysed from the previous attack. The battle was a regrettably forgone conclusion at this point.

I couldn't have known how right I was, but for all the wrong reasons.

Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glow emanating from the arm of Gallade's that wasn't damaged, faint at first, but gaining luminescence the closer power gem got to hitting it. I had to wonder just how Wally planned to get out of this, not that I had to ponder long.

Just before the point of impact, Gallade's fully extended right blade-arm swung upwards. Imbued with the same energy it had used against Probopass earlier; except now it was empowered to the point of warping the air around it. The blade and the power gem collided, creating a shrill shriek that stung the air; morphing into the sound of shattering rock as Gallade  _cut clean through my attack._

Shocking enough that the kid had managed to overpower me, but absolutely mortifying that a physically congealed, razor-sharp disc of psychic energy was now hurtling towards Probopass, who was floating helplessly in mid air. Even before I called out, it was too far gone.

The disc struck, sending out an aftershock of needle-like air from the epicentre of the blast, and I watched. Hopelessly staring as my Probopass fell twenty metres from its perch in mid air, landing with a horrible  _bang_ onto the solid stone floor of the gym.

I knew the outcome before the dust settled. Probopass had certainly passed out, that move was too powerful, even for him. When it was all said and done, I lost. Lost for the second time in one day, to what should have been two completely novice challengers. All I could do was clutch at the Pokeball in my hand as I recalled my poor Pokemon.

_You've certainly earned some rest, I'll take you on a vacation for this, I promise Probopass._

I thought to myself, minimising the ball and gazing downcast at my victorious challenger. He'd since recalled Gallade and was certainly looking all the better for it; no longer was he holding himself in agonising pain, and his shy yet happy expression had taken residence on his features once more. As if everything had just gone back to normal.

It was time to give him what he fought for, I couldn't stand around and admire his handiwork, after all, I did have a gym to run.

* * *

Elated. Beyond that even, I was so indescribably happy. I'd won, beaten Roxanne, and though it had been really difficult; especially towards the end, I came out on top. During the battle I was scared, I knew I didn't have experience, that I was likely predictable and that she would play that to her advantage. She certainly did, but Forsythe helped, like always, lending me his confidence when I had all too little. The exchange of mental strength came at the price of pain in this match though. That zap cannon hurt Gallade really bad; even now, with the link broken, I could still feel little pin-pricks of energy dancing across the skin of my left arm. It would dissipate with time and my body wasn't actually damaged since the pain was second-hand, but that didn't make it easier to stomach how much he had to go through to get me this win.

We fought in tandem, controlling the blades and his body to achieve victory. Of course, that couldn't make up for letting him endure that much pain for nothing, when I was finished battling Ruby later I'd have to do something special for Forsythe, he deserved it. I'd let him use my body with the link and be a human for a little bit, even if my frail shell wasn't the best, it was the least I could do. Maybe I could even ask Ruby to make some of his amazing food again, Gallade would love to eat anything that he could cook up, hell, Gallade loved eating most human food altogether.

Of course, that all rested on me winning my second battle for the day. I couldn't help but sigh really, sure this win meant something, but if I lost to Ruby then I was going to be left behind. I'd miss him, his cooking, his dry wit and his smile-

"Wally!" Came a distant shout, shaking away my current thoughts.

It was him, running from the spectator's stand with a panicked look on his face, the red-eyed boy I befriended. In a short amount of time, shorter than I expected, he had come to face me, revealing just how much concern was marring his usually calm features.

"Wally! What the hell was that?! Did you get hurt or not?!" He shot, one question after another.

"U-uh I was... W-Well..." I started to twiddle my thumbs, unsure of how to explain my recent battle to him without sounding weird.

"Come on, tell me! Were you hurt?" He asked, confusion interlacing with the concern on his face.

"You see, I w-was using-"

"A Psychic link." Another voice, this time from the arena side.

"Excuse me?" Ruby questioned, turning to face the noise.

Upon pivoting myself I could see that it was Roxanne, who had crossed the length of the previous battlefield. To Ruby's credit, I was also confused, apparently Roxanne knew something about my technique.

"Your friend Ruby, he was using a psychic link. It's a bond that psychic types can form with a trainer, letting them share thoughts, feelings and in this case, pain."

Huh, so Roxanne did know what I was doing, not that I ever gave it a name myself, but that certainly fit the description for the technique.

"Wait, wait, hold up. So you're tell me that Wally here was... was linking minds with Forsythe?" He said, pointing at me.

I blushed a little bit for the attention being drawn toward me, but Roxanne didn't even look at me, in fact, she started giggling.

"You called it 'Forsythe'?"

"Wha- No! Wally named it that! Anyway it's not important! What I want to know is, how the hell did he do that and why you thought attacking him, which  _hurt_ him by the way, was a good fucking idea?!"

Ruby was losing his cool a little, which was odd, he normally didn't. I certainly hadn't seen him with this kind of serious expression before, and though it made me happy (was that even the word for what I was feeling?) that he cared, he didn't need too.

"I've said this to you before; I can take care of myself. She didn't hurt me." I told him, in a soft yet firm tone.

"You can't be serious, I  _heard_   _you_  cry out in pain when that attack hit. You sounded like you'd lost an arm!" He stated, raising his voice a little.

It's hard to be pridefully mad when someone is worried about your well being, but I'd gotten way too much of that with everyone in Petalburg.

"And look, I haven't" I said, pulling back my shirt's left sleeve, revealing my pale and unmarked arm. "I'm ok, really." I stated more firmly this time, giving my best smile.

He gave it thought and the revelation that there wasn't physical injury probably contributed to his silence. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak again however, Roxanne spoke up.

"Wally's right. I've seen this technique before and there isn't any real danger to the use of it, at least physically speaking."

"Physically speaking? Does that mean there's mental risk then?"

"I'd assume only for beginners to the technique, which your friend most definitely is not. Anyone who can fight alongside a Pokemon in it's own body to the point of perceiving it's pain has clearly gone beyond the level of a novice." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ruby's incredulous expression would have made me laugh, if I wasn't embarrassed out of my mind because of Roxanne's praise. My cheeks were probably rose-red now, and thinking about it only made it worse.

"What?! You mean wally was-"

"Yes, he and ' _Forsythe_ ' were both in control" She smirked at mentioning the name before continuing. "Isn't that right Wally? You and Gallade were both fighting me right?"

How in the hell did she know I could do that? It was one thing to believe I was sharing pain and senses, even thoughts. Yet it was near impossible for her to know that I was actually in the thick of that battle with my Pokemon, well, mentally speaking at least.

"U-uhh. How did you-"

She tapped her nose lightly with a smirk.

"I'm a gym leader, it's easy for me to understand my challengers."

Her boast confused me, given how unlikely it was for to even know, but Ruby just ignored it anyway.

"So you actually  _were_  fighting in Gallade's body?" Ruby practically shouted at me.

"Ummm y-yeah..." I admitted, cheeks growing hot again, face scrunching up just a little.

_Here comes the lecture._

"And you share pain but it doesn't affect your actual body?"

"Y-Yup" I answered, my defiant expression more clear now, despite my stuttering.

_Yeap, I was definitely going to be told off._

This time he really did shout.

"Oh my Arceus Wally, that's amazing! Why didn't you tell me you could do that?!"

_What._

I blinked at him. He wasn't going to continue his 'no it's too risky' speech? Was he really just going to drop it after seeing my resolve? Roxanne's boast, Ruby's amazement, It was all too confusing. As I opened my mouth to ask how Roxanne knew any of that, I was interrupted by her before even speaking the first syllable.

"Yes, I'll agree with that. Though your battle tactics are crude and straight-forward, that's a very special skill you have Wally. Use it to the best of your advantage. Who knows, maybe your Gallade will even match  _Atropos_  one day."

_Atro-what-now?_

"But never mind my babbling. You've beaten me, just like your friend. Under official League rules, this now belongs to you." She said, gently handing me a badge.

I almost cried out with joy then and there. I'd almost forgotten about winning thanks to being put under interrogation by Ruby. Being reminded of it with the object symbolising my victory only made it that much sweeter. The thought that I had managed to beat a gym made my self-confidence surge; somehow, despite my inexperience, I managed to win.

Sure, beating Ruby would probably take a whole lot more, but I was getting somewhere, I was progressing. It was just the first step of many, yet it was one less tier to climb. There was no doubt in my mind now that I could become stronger with each battle, that yes, I  _could_  reach the Pokemon league if I tried.

The future never looked brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! Did you enjoy that roller coaster? Because now that it's over I can talk more freely about it. By now you should know about Wally's ability, and I'm here to say that I have big plans for how that ability can both help and hinder him in his growth as a trainer, a person and his shipping development. Real big plans. That said though, if you like this ability or if you don't, let me know. I don't want to ruin anyone's fun at all by putting it in the story and emphasising it to much, and while I will be keeping it, I will tone it down as far as I possibly can if you guys don't like it as a ability that Wally can use. (it's also has uses outside of battling, don't you worry about that).
> 
> Now, apart from the abilities and head cannons problem, you'll notice that Wally is really adverse to being treated like he can't be doing something because he is incapable. Really adverse. This is in line with his character, I don't imagine someone who has been told all their life that they can't pursue what they love because it's 'dangerous' for them would be very happy hearing it again and again. His family means well, but it has (in my mind) created this complex within the little guy that being treated as incapable and needing help are the same thing, and therefore bad. At his core, Wally would just hate being told he can't do something, or that he need's help to do it (even if he himself knows he needs the help). This will be ship relevant, Wally's character will grow along with the ship and Ruby's/Brendan's character, his view point on Ruby/Brendan's (well meaning) concern will change with time. After all, it's my intention for this story to be long and all about dat self growth yo (ergo why it's in the description as a theme).
> 
> As a small side note, Roxanne was the main viewpoint for this chapter because I felt it was interesting. Don't worry, swapping to side character view points will only be done when necessary to create a scene or set the atmosphere/shape the plot. For the most part though, the majority of the story will be done from our Protags (and sometimes the antags) view point.
> 
> Any-who, with that out of the way and all of my wordy explanations for my bad plotting done, it's about time I leave this till next time. See y'all next week, I hope you enjoyed this week's instalment and I wish you all the best till I return (to do it again :P).


	9. Cappuccino for your troubles?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there readers! I have an update for you guys again. This chapter won't be nearly as action based as the last one, and it will go into a little bit more detail on a certain green nerds ability. Any who, I had a little bit of fun with some character interaction in this chapter, you'll see what I mean by that as you read of course.
> 
> A few important details make their way into this chapter, despite it not being very active, and it will help to set up the premise for the next chapters. That said, I did strive to make this chapter entertaining in and of itself, so hopefully you guys enjoy it too.
> 
> Anyway, I'd like to reiterate that if anybody ever wants to know the progress on a chapter, I leave progress reports in brackets on my FFNet profile page, generally speaking though, I will be trying to keep to my weekly habit (though that isn't a promise, chapters could take longer, I am merely doing weekly updates to keep my writing active).
> 
> Either way though, have fun readers, I hope you enjoy this weeks chapter!

It was mid-day when I arrived on the back of Athena, my Skarmory. Her steel shell glistened in the mid-day sunlight as we touched down. I took in the splendid view. Petalburg was always pristine, always so full of life; such a shame that the gym was closed until we could find a replacement gym leader.

We had Norman, back when I was still a league hopeful, but he died, leaving behind his family and his gym. Of course, we tried bringing in a few replacements, but they all turned out to be lacklustre and left the job as quick as we gave it to them. Not that giving them the position was any form of quick, since it had to be put to vote between all gym leaders.

It was ironically funny how I'd come here on the whim of Norman's wife, blackmailed by the woman he had loved. He was a good man; she was nothing more than a bitter aftertaste, a leftover of his legacy. If I was wearing a smile before, it was most definitely not there any more.

_Damn her._

Honestly, how did we slip up so badly that she caught us? If we hadn't then I wouldn't be in this mess, I wouldn't be at her beck and call; searching Hoenn for her missing child. She tortured me with that information, even worse that my 'better half' was completely unaware. It wouldn't take much, she'd just have to drop that knowledge on the public with her proof and boom; our careers would be scarred permanently. The 'champion of filfth and the perverted gym leader' in her words.

Which is why I couldn't screw up; as much as I hated it, pride was something to be put aside with this problem being what it is. I'd have to find her brat and bring him back, at least that way I would be able to keep up the veil and prevent the public eye from seeing what they weren't prepared to see.

Fortunately, I had been supplied with enough data on who he was to get to work immediately, hell, I still couldn't believe my luck after I saw his last transaction. He had withdrawn an incredibly large sum of money from an ATM in Petalburg, and my best guess was that he'd used that money to buy a few things at the local Pokemart. Which meant the best place to gather details was in that store, all I'd need to know his how he was hiding his identity. After all, there was no way a popular child star like him was walking around in broad daylight without a disguise, he'd be found out immediately and I would have caught him already.

It didn't take long to reach it either, being a small city, I was inside the Pokemart in no less than ten minutes.

"St-Steven Stone?! Oh my Arceus, you're the champion!" Came an excited voice as I stepped through the front door.

Oh dear; fans. Well, there goes orderly info gathering, if my reputation was to be believed I likely would be the one being questioned now. Not that I didn't enjoy everyone's praise and respect, but I had priorities most of the time that got in the way. Today's priority was, unfortunately, finding Cassie's absent spawn.

"Hi Mr. Stone, what can we do for you today?" The shopkeeper chimed, this time with more enthusiasm.

"Well, I'm not here to buy anything if that's what you're asking." I told him flatly.

"O-Oh..." And just like that the enthusiasm disappeared, poor guy.

"... But you can help me, I'm actually here looking for someone. Specifically speaking, I'm trying to find a fellow who may have passed through here, a very rich person who has a lot of money with them. Has anyone like that come through this shop?" I inquired in an almost bored tone.

"Uhhh, well, I can't really say; you see we can't just give out details of our customers, even to someone as reputable as yourself an-"

"This is for investigative purposes." I interjected, pulling out my Poke-Interpol ID. "I don't want financial records or transactions, I'd just like to know if you saw anyone waving around quite a bit of cash recently,  _that's all_." I said with a hint of force.

It wasn't something I'd normally do, abusing my Interpol authority like that, but I was the damned champion and I was running after some kid in the field. The faster I could get this done, the better; and all the sooner would Cassandra be out of my hair. For his part, the store clerk's eyes boggled, clearly he wasn't used to seeing any members of Interpol. Still, it should be common knowledge at this point that any champion who maintains their title for a longer than a year is made into an agent if possible. I had certainly managed to do that, I even passed their silly tests with near perfect scores.

At the time I wasn't too keen on the duty itself, I had other passions to concern myself with. The most mundane rocks around were better fit for my amusement than running all over the place and doing small jobs for Interpol, but at least the travelling I did in their stead helped me to see the rest of the world.

That said, I couldn't afford to just daydream on adventures past, the store clerk was being fidgety and still hadn't answered me. Normally I would have been more attentive and sensitive to that kind of nervousness, but I hadn't had my coffee, nor any decent sleep. Never mind the fact that I hadn't yet found the kid.

"Look, all I need is for someone to tell me whether or not a rich person passed through here. Now, considering how small this city is, someone like that would be noticed instantly in an establishment like this. Much like the attention you gave me earlier." I stated more forcefully this time.

"W-Well, you are Interpol, so I guess... I guess it couldn't hurt." He began, a tad nervously. "We did have one customer come through with quite a bit of money recently, he even showed it off the guy behind the counter at the time. He came in about the same day a green-haired kid with breathing problems collapsed on our floor."

"Thank you. Do you think you could tell me what this person looked like?" I eased into the question this time; I was getting somewhere.

"You mean the kid with money? I'd have to ask Anthony in the back, he was the one working that shift."

"Could you please bring him out here for me?" I asked, this time with a soft smile.

_Progress_

"S-sure. Just wait here for one moment Mr. Stone, He'll be right out."

With that, the clerk was gone to fetch my witness; someone who had potentially seen my quarry. Perhaps there would be time for coffee after all.

* * *

We had a small break at a local cafe, one situated next to Rustboro's school. Dim chatter mixed with the distant cries and laughter of children gave the cafe a lively atmosphere.

Almost as damned lively as my thoughts.

I was still reeling. Wally had proven to be quite the trainer after all; I mean sure, his movements in battle were predictable, but his Pokemon was strong enough to finish a rock type in  _four_  moves. A fully evolved Probopass even. The only reason I beat that thing was because I trapped it in a sand-tomb and let Flygon have a field day. But Wally, he had straight up over powered it, no problem at all.

I was worried that he couldn't handle a battle like that, but he demonstrated quite clearly that he could match most experienced trainers in power, drop for drop. That was to say nothing of his other skill either; to think that little guy was capable of psychic communication with his Pokemon. Even more so than that apparently. According to Roxanne, he was even capable of mentally existing in and using that Pokemon's body. It was a strange skill, something I'd never seen before and it held a lot of promise.

Of course, that didn't change his very telegraphed battle style nor did it remove the fact that he felt the pain from received attacks. Maybe gym leaders would show mercy when a challenger collapses in pain, but not everyone is so kind; using a technique like that was incredibly dangerous.

And I had to battle him.

After dragging him from Petalburg and getting the poor kid caught up in ID fraud, I had to fight him and no doubt cause that very same pain. Obviously his Wurmple was in no shape to take on Flitter and his only chance at this stage was to fight me with his Gallade. It made me feel like a scum bag. He didn't even know who I really was; willingly went along with my plans and got me my ID no questions asked. And now I had to defeat him, and in the process, hurt him.

The proposition was all too bitter, much like my coffee; I couldn't stomach either of them.

Knowing that continuing this downward mental spiral would only make me feel worse, I decided instead on talking to distract myself.

"Wally." My voice rang out, breaking the dim background noise.

The chartreuse haired boy looked up from his cup of hot chocolate and met my sight, darting his eyes elsewhere every few seconds.

"Y-Yeah?" He asked nervously.

"You said you've never battled right? So, how come your Gallade is so strong; in fact, how did you even manage to develop this psychic link?"

I was asking for a distraction, to avoid having to think about my mistake, but I was actually genuinely curious too. Who wouldn't want to know how this little muffin-top gained such power?

"O-Oh, uhhhh, well... I haven't battled before, you see, Forsythe is my Pokemon, but he was trained by someone else." He said, shifting a little in his seat.

"Wait, so Gallade wasn't originally yours?" I replied, slightly perplexed.

"No no, he was always my Pokemon... But err, my grandpa was the one who trained him for me. My parents caught him as a companion to keep me happy, but grandpa told them that he could double as my protector too."

"So they let him train Gallade for you?" I questioned, mild curiosity turning into genuine interest.

"Y-yeah, since grandpa was a pretty good dragon trainer when he was young, he was able to help Gallade get stronger and evolve y'know." The boy's eyes softened with his reply, clearly he thought highly of his grandfather.

It all made a lot more sense now. After all, it was unrealistic for someone so new to battling to have a Pokemon so strong that they raised themselves. Also, it was kind of unnerving that Wally's family would train a Pokemon to be that powerful for the express intent of his protection alone. Just how paranoid were they?

Arceus only knows, but it didn't explain the link.

"Ok, but how did you even develop the ability to mentally connect with Forsythe?" I asked, pointing to his Pokemon who was sitting down on the floor, eating a mince savoury that I had bought.

"Oh, ummm..." There was the thumb twiddling again... "When I was little, my asthma was a lot worse and I was never let outside most of the time. So Forsythe would send... err..."

He paused, as if unsure of how to proceed. It lasted only seconds, and the twiddling stopped when it was over, but Wally spoke up again.

"He started by sending me feelings at first, an-and yes I know that s-sounds  _weird_... but... but he did."

He took a sip of his drink and looked at me, likely to see if I was believing of his explanation. When he was satisfied that I was taking it seriously, he continued.

"After a little while doing that, Forysthe began sending the sights he could see to cheer me up too. Eventually this turned into him letting me use his body to explore the world without... without my parents knowing. He felt bad that I was always locked away..." The boy stated, looking downcast.

Interesting, so it was gradually built up over time. Incidental practice, as it's prime purpose was just Gallade's way of helping Wally feel better. I still wanted to see it properly for myself though.

"Sorry to ask, but could you demonstrate this link?"

"Huh?" A confused look crossed his face briefly. "Ummm, s-sure, I'll let Forsythe talk to you through me."

_Gallade could use his body as well?!_

Wally's pupils dilated in the next second, and immediately he shifted in his seat; Gallade stopped eating also. Originally the green haired boy was sitting forward almost nervously and avoiding my eyes. Now he was sitting back, relaxed and staring directly at me. It was creepy, his whole demeanour changed in less than a second.

"Hello Ruby. Is this demonstration enough?" Came a deeper version of Wally's voice, complete with a bored tone.

Confident. Cocky even, I definitely wasn't talking to shy boy I knew. However, it was odd that Gallade could even speak English.

"Maybe, but how come you can speak normally?" I asked, slightly confused.

"I'm borrowing some of Wally's vocabulary, he's helping me word everything that I can't." He stated coolly.

So he knew some English? Now that I thought about it, that made sense, how else would Pokemon follow orders if they didn't know the basics of language?.

"But if you know some words, shouldn't you be able to speak without using him in either body?"

"I don't know a lot, and much like every other Pokemon, my body's voice box also doesn't produce most of the sounds necessary for this language. In this, Wally is my medium." He responded, unfazed with my continuous questioning.

_Unbelievable_

Beyond impressive. They could sync on a level most trainers couldn't even begin to imagine, and they made it seem effortless, natural even. Gallade could use Wally to speak and Wally could use Gallade to battle. But the fact that it was a two way deal was also quite worrying.

"You're not going to take advantage of him are you? I don't like the idea of you possessing him whenever you want." I told him seriously.

'Wally' laughed, not his usual giggling kind either, a more resonant guttural laugh.

"You're quite protective of him, that's good to know." He stated with a smirk.

"Protective? No I'm jus-"

"But don't worry." He waved dismissively. "We can only use each others body if we both agree on it. I can't possess him, and I wouldn't want to either. Anyway, are you satisfied? I'd like to go back to eating lunch if you don't mind." He asked with a small amount of annoyance.

"Y-yeah, that's fine." I replied, slightly shaken by his nonchalant attitude toward my concern.

Wally's pupils returned to their normal size in that moment as he slowly shifted back to his previous position. Gallade just went straight back to eating.

"S-Sorry, Forsythe can be... well... blunt." Came a quiet murmur from the boy, his cheeks slowly gaining a rosy colour.

_Oh thank Arceus._  He was back, blushing, nervous jittering and all. It was almost disturbing seeing him without his usual quirks, for reasons I couldn't really name. But I was glad all the same, especially now that I had some idea what he could do with that ability.

Did that ease my guilt though? No, not at all. He was still going to fight Flitter directly with Gallade's help and he would feel all the pain from any attack I used.

I felt like such an ass.

"Wally, about our battle..."

"Yeah?" He replied, returning his avoidant gaze back to me.

"I can't stop you from using your ability against other people, but I don't want to hurt you, so... so I won't." I told him as bluntly as I could.

"W-wait, y-ou mean th-that you're not going to battle me?" He said, this time a hint of worry in his tone.

"Yeah, I'm not." I answered, looking down at my bitter, unfinished coffee.

It was my turn to avoid eye contact.

"S-S-So, you're just g-gonna leave me behind?" He questioned, this time sounding like he was close to tears.

He was adamant on not leaving if he was as upset as he sounded, which is exactly why I looked up again, but only briefly. Sure enough, his face was indeed marred with sadness, he definitely seemed close to crying despite lacking visible tears. Honestly it just made me feel like even more of a scumbag. He had put his neck on the line unknowingly, not even for a definite reward either, just a chance at one, and I was taking that chance away.

_Arceus dammit Brendan, look what you got yourself into._

Before I even knew what I was doing, I opened my mouth to speak, with the intention of calming him down.

"Actually." I began, trying hard to meet his sad puppy like stare. "I'm going to let you come along... at least until I teach you how to battle like everyone else and we have a proper match." I appended at the last second, realising what I was saying.

The effect this had on the Wally was nothing short of amazing. Like night to day, his expression brightened immediately and his air of joy returned.

" _R-Really_?!" He shouted with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. "You're going to teach me?!"

"Uhhh, y-yeah, I am." I said nervously, caught entirely off guard by the sudden rush of cheer.

"Oh my gosh! This is awesome y'know!" He exclaimed out of happiness.

Man, this kid is excitable; he eclipsed the background noise entirely. I didn't think it was a big thing, but he sure did, if the grin tearing at the corners of his mouth was anything to go by. He wasn't even avoiding my gaze every so often any more. Apparently he was too happy to be nervous, which, despite the circumstances in my head, made me want to laugh a little.

But that could wait, we had things to do after all.

"It is, I guess, but I'm going to have to catch another Pokemon before we set off for the next gym." I told him as he took another sip of his hot chocolate.

"Huh?" A curious expression appeared on his face, though it still couldn't erase his smile "Why's that Ruby?" He asked innocently, putting his cup down again.

"Well, I won't be able to teach you how to battle like I do if you rely on Forsythe anyway. Fortunately, you have Wurmple, but Flitter is too strong to be a sparring partner for him." I stated flatly.

"Oh... Oh! So you're going to catch a Pokemon from around here so we can practice!" He stated happily, answering his own curiosity.

"Exactly. We're going to pay a visit to Rusturf tunnel today so I can find another team member, and also a partner to help you and Wurmple develop battle skill. Sound like a plan?"

"Yup!" Came the short yet peppy answer.

Looks like my plans were settled.

I hadn't meant to promise for him to come along to begin with, I just didn't want to hurt him in a battle. But, for lack of any other way to cheer him up, I did just that. Holy hell how it did though. A simple promise to teach, and his smile lit up the whole room.

Unfortunately, it meant that I would be slowed down for a little longer, but I didn't want to just outright abandon him to fix that. While the pace didn't fit my desire, at the very least I'd have company for a little longer before blitzing every gym in the region.

Sighing, I looked down at my now cold coffee. It's depths were bitter and the foam had long since dissipated; I drank regardless. The taste was horrid for sitting so long, but there were things still left to do in the day, and this break had gone on long enough.

There was no time left for coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, I'm hoping this chapter highlighted a few things. Firstly, Steven is with Interpol, he is an agent of the law, a free agent due to having the role of champion, but an agent none the less. Secondly, Brendan dragged Wally into some illegal ID activities and is now feeling a little guilt for it (as he should). Thirdly, while Wally owns Gallade, the reason why it's so strong is because it was trained by someone else in order to protect him.
> 
> I suppose this raises the interesting question of how good a trainer his grandfather is and exactly how protective his family is of him. A very important question, at least if you ask me :P
> 
> Anyway, when it comes to Wally's ability, I have many plans, and as you can see it has applications outside of battle. Helping Gallade communicate clearly with others is one thing, but naturally the personality change itself is also important. Looks like he also has a teacher to help with his lack of conventional battle technique as well.
> 
> It also addressed some of the functionality of the link between Wally and Forsythe. As you've seen, the link works both ways and Wally incidentally practised it while he was young. So technically speaking, he has years of experience using it. Regular battles though? Zero experience, which is where our red-eyed nerd comes in. Of course, Wally isn't going to get the hang of it straight away, not by a long shot, but I imagine such practice hijinks make for both great humour and great shipping moments.
> 
> Anyway, I've got to disappear now for another week. But expect the next instalment to answer some important questions. Questions such as "What will Brendan's new Pokemon be?", "How will Wally's training go?" and most importantly "Where does Wally get his naming quirk from?". All this and more next week, but for now, have a good night peeps, I hope you enjoyed reading.


	10. Whismurs in the dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Sorry for this chapter coming in a little bit slow. It's been a hella exhausting week; work had me supervising a large part of a warehouse for 2 out of the 5 days of said week, one of which I had to do without prior training. Add my work party to the mix this Saturday and It just wasn't looking good for this chapter. That said though, I did manage to get it out before Monday, and I even had a little fun this chapter too.
> 
> You see, I've hidden two song titles playfully within the writing of this chapter since it's themed a little on sound. One of those titles is a pun in my chapter title, and the other is hidden in writing in the fic. They aren't readily obvious, especially not the second one, but if someone manages to find both of them and then tell me about it, I'll write a short two shot Highschool AU about Wally/Brendan as a bonus story ;D (Because every shipping fandom NEEDS at least one Highschool AU)
> 
> Anyway, with the funsies out of the way, let me tell you in advance that you shouldn't take every event at face value. I'm quite meticulous with my information and I try not to give out needless tid bits, so try not to write anything off that you read in any of my chapters, it could be relevant later =P
> 
> With all that out of the way, I'd like to once again state that any criticism or praise is welcome. Reviews of any nature provide the feed back that allows me to make this story better for you guys. Telling me you like something lets me know when I get it right, and telling me where I have goofed up lets me know where I've gone wrong. Please, don't be shy, I definitely don't bite! (You don't have to review either, PM's work equally well)
> 
> Also, not to alarm anyone or anything... **But we've reached 10 chapters whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!**
> 
> Ahem. Anywho, enough of my mumbo jumbo, on with the new chapter!

My emotions had been nothing but a roller-coaster today. The calm of the morning, the adrenaline fuelled high of the battle with Roxanne, and then the sorrow, turned jubilant glee, from Ruby's refusal to battle me, but acceptance of me hanging around for a bit longer. Mentally it was a little exhausting, hell, I'm pretty sure embarrassment was part of the package too, thanks to Fosythe's blunt responses to my travelling companion.

Regardless of said roller-coaster though, Ruby had agreed to let me tag along for a bit longer, and the best part?  _He was going to train me_. I honestly couldn't wait. Who better to teach me how to battle the way regular trainers do than Ruby? At least this way I'd eventually be able to battle with all types of Pokemon; I wouldn't have to rely on Forsythe and have him fight all the time.

If there was anything I needed to know; which I was pretty sure there was, Ruby would teach me. After all, he'd beaten Roxanne too, but he'd done it with speed and cunning, Ruby knew what he was doing and didn't have to rely on raw power like I did.

The red-eyed trainer had everything going for him really, and I admired him for it. Ruby was kind, strong in battle, he could even cook and live all on his own; plus he was handsome to boot. That information was the cause for my quiet, yet heaved sigh. Compared to me, Ruby was an amazing person.

It was easy to tell. Even just watching him walk ahead of me with that confident gait of his. The way he carried himself gave off the vibe of self-assurance, but not of the overly arrogant kind. It was gentle, but firm, and combined with his personality and wit, he eclipsed me completely. That was to say nothing of his looks either. He was definitely fit, that was for sure, his clothes were form-fitting and his form certainly wasn't out of shape. To the contrary, Ruby's arms and legs were toned, the muscle only slightly visible; which, when paired with his lithe frame and soft facial features basically made him a mascot for male beauty.

I really had to wonder what he did before this to even get that kind of body, and truthfully, I was kind of envious of his good looks.

{You sure like thinking about your friend Wally.} Came a sassy remark out of no where.

I turned my head; face exploding into full-flush crimson. Remembering that Forsythe was out of his ball right now and realising with utter horror that the Pokemon had seen  _every_ _single_ _bit_  of my internal monologue. I'd completely forgotten that I'd kept him out for safety on the way to our destination. The punishment for doing so was heavy; Forsythe was grinning slyly, with a small hint of amusement. Fortunately, Ruby was ahead of us and couldn't see his smirk, nor how my cheeks made my head look like an over-ripe Tamato berry.

[I don't! I'm just... I was just a bit jealous ok? I'm no where near as good looking as he is, or even as skilled at battling...]

The Pokemon's smirk diminished a little, but didn't disappear entirely.

{You can try to hide all of your intentions, but since you've been subconsciously maintaining the link, it's pointless. Still, if you ask me, you're thinking waaay too much.}

[I  _was_  just jealous. I'm being serious y'know, and who wouldn't be envious of him?]

The Pokemon just shook his head as we followed Ruby along through the grass.

{He really isn't that great. I don't know any human ideas about 'beauty', but I don't see how you'd be all that worse off. The only thing he has over you is that he isn't sick.}

[Maybe... bu-]

"We're here!" Said a voice just in front of me.

Whom I bumped into, because I wasn't attentive to my surroundings until just then.

"Ooof-" Escaped my lips as I walked into Ruby's chest and was pushed backwards, falling on my butt in the process.

Ruby looked down at me, puzzled and somewhat amused.

"Not paying attention eh? We could have been set on by wild Pokemon in the tall grass earlier, you know that right?" He told me, his face adorned with a cheeky smile.

"I-I know..." I huffed, a small pout crossing my features.

He just chuckled and offered me his hand to pull me up. Honestly I was more thankful that he had interrupted Forsythe's impending discussion than I was for him helping me up. He didn't know it, but he spared me a bucket load of embarrassment. Grasping his palm, I began to stand back up. After coming upright, I noticed that Ruby was correct, we were directly outside the entrance to a dimly lit cave.

"So this is where we are going to find another member for your team? Why not the tall grass earlier?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, I'm looking for a specific Pokemon, but you'll see soon enough." He responded with a smile.

A specific Pokemon? I had to wonder what he had in mind, but he didn't give me time to ask since he'd already went inside by the time I had the question ready. Always in a rush, that was Ruby in a nutshell.

{You've got that right, but we should go in after him.}

[Yeah, let's go see what Pokemon he's looking for, Forsythe.]

He nodded at me, as we walked through the rocky opening to meet our friend on the other side.

* * *

Dark, damp too; this cave definitely wasn't anybody's utopia. Thankfully, I could see at least, but only just. In saying that, vision wasn't going to be the primary means of finding my next team member.

Sound, a force without real form, the perfect tool for disrupting a battle and commanding the field. It was more than capable of out speeding any Pokemon; not even the world's fastest Ninjask would be able to out pace noise itself. Control wasn't the only thing it could do either; Interference with another's moves with it was one thing, but apply enough power, and sound could flatten the very skyscrapers of Lilycove.

Which is exactly why my ears were far more important in finding the next member of my team. It was less about spotting the species of Pokemon that lived here in this case, and more about hearing for the correct one. My dad once told me that Rusturf tunnel used to be the home of one of his best Pokemon, his Exploud. One of the main reasons people feared him for a gym leader was that Exploud. He was among the few trainers to abuse sound to the fullest in battle, and I wanted to do the same.

Of course, I wouldn't find an Exploud here, a cave like this one wouldn't be able to handle the vocal pressure of such a Pokemon. But I would find it's pre-evolutions, and that was enough, both for my sake and for the sake of Wally's training. Besides, it'd give me plenty of time to train my soon-to-be new addition.

Yes, somewhere in this cave was a Whismur, a Pokemon that I had  _every_  intention of catching.

I stilled my motions after coming in far enough and waited. The pitter-patter of trapped water as it trickled down and off the cave walls was all that could be heard at first, but eventually I could hear the faintest of steps; the soft echoes bouncing of the walls. More than that actually, it was two sets of stepping sounds, the source of which originated from behind me.

I turned; Pokeball in hand, to meet the noise.

Only to find Wally and Forsythe, or rather, the vague outlines of them in pitch-blackness. I'd entirely forgotten that they were tagging along until just now. The two of them saw me jump a little, and apparently that was enough for Wally to chuckle quietly. Light laughter bounced around in the amazing acoustics of the cave walls as I shook my head. At least he seemed to understand that I needed silence,  _not_.

I wasn't going to let him catch my smile at his laughter, since I was pretty sure that I was supposed to be annoyed, not amused. Catching a Whismur would be easy with the Ultra-ball I'd been keeping since I left 'home'; a battle wouldn't even be necessary. But that didn't mean anything if I couldn't find one, and Wally's laughter might scare potential team mates away.

Being mad would have been a waste of time though, because it was seconds after Wally's chuckle that I heard it.

A faint murmur descended upon the walls and danced in my ears like a melody. The look on Wally's face said it all; he and Forsythe weren't the source of this new disturbance. Not that they had to be, I knew the sound I was searching for, and this was it. I signalled for Wally and his Pokemon to stay put, then ventured toward the noise as quietly as I could.

Years of contest practice had made me deft and nimble on my feet, sneaking up on a Pokemon would be a piece of cake. Sure the acoustics of the cave made the task difficult, however, that was just more incentive not to screw up.

After what felt like an hour of slowly slinking towards the whispers that echoed off the walls, my quarry came into sight, thanks to an opening in the cave roof just above it. What I saw wasn't what I expected however. As it happened, Whismur wasn't making sounds for the hell of it, no, it was wailing. It was easy to see why too, one of it's ears was bleeding.

Someone, or something had attacked it, and it was crying out softly in pain. I felt pity for the poor thing, but this was only good news for me. If it was already injured, then the small chance it had of escaping my Ultra-ball just dropped to zero. Said Ultra-ball I pulled out of my pocket immediately. It felt weighty in my hand, despite it's safety mechanism still being in effect.

But it wouldn't be for very long.

_Click_.

The whismur panicked.  _Even with a damaged ear it heard me?_  Maybe I had come to close. Whatever the case though, it didn't matter, I tossed the Ultra-ball with as much force as I could at the startled Pokemon. In between the ball's flight path, Whismur began to cry out loudly, not the pleasant kind either. Shrill, screechy and amplified by the cave walls. The sound stabbed at my ear drum viciously. Instinctively, I clutched at my ears as the ball hit it's mark.

Thankfully, the now screaming level shriek ceased as the ball triggered and trapped the poor Pokemon inside. It was injured and I used an Ultra-ball, but I was still worried about the chance of it breaking free. So I waited, frozen with anticipation for that tell tale...

_Click_.

Three rolls and the mechanism locked; Whismur was now mine.

I ran towards the ball; disregarding my earlier caution about my volume, and picked it up with glee.  _Soon_. Soon I would have a trained Exploud, and I'd be closer to the league in the process. First things first though, this Whismur was clearly hurt, I didn't know how of course but I needed to bring it to the Pokemon centre back at Rustboro, that much was sure.

I had to wonder how it got damaged to begin with, I didn't see any trainers on the way in here and this cave's Pokemon population was a little lacking. Plus if it was a wild Pokemon attack, it wouldn't have been left to bleed, it would already be dead. The only explanation I could think of wa-

" **Ruby**!" A shout echoed throughout the cave.

I jumped out of my skin, losing balance as a result and fell forward. Landing from my kneeling position face first onto the cave floor.

_Arceus dammit_.

I told him to stay put and certainly expected him to remain that way. Yet here I was, face making friends with the rocks beneath it, and probably looking like quite the fool. It's only when he started laughing; this laughter multiplied by the walls of the cave, that I started to blush. More out of annoyance than anger.

Pushing myself back up, a frown forming as his laughter gradually got louder. He was closing the distance between us, and when he got here I planned to give him an earful for surprising me. But when Wally finally arrived I had little heart to actually do so. His smile was bright, even with the tenebrosity of the cave being what it was. That, combined with the fact that I actually captured the Pokemon I was looking for did wonders to ease my irritation. It just didn't seem right, his smile was far too... cute, I didn't want to ruin it.

"You really shouldn't scare me like that." I told him, with a half-hearted but stern expression.

"S-Sorry. I decided to look for you after I heard the loud shriek, I didn't think I'd cause you to fall y'know?" He replied, wearing a cheesy grin and rubbing his arm out of slight embarrassment.

I just shook my head at him. He was genuinely sorry at least. The Gallade at his side though? Less so, judging from it's mischievous grin anyway. Still, that didn't matter, he could only mock me if Wally let him.

"It's fine, I've caught the Pokemon I was looking for anyway. Lets get out of here."

"Sure!"

* * *

Truthfully, I was glad to be out of that cave. Far removed from paradise and almost empty Pokemon wise, it wasn't a pleasant place to be. Emphasis on the  _almost_ ; I did manage to catch a new team member after all. That didn't mean we could start training however, because Whismur was injured and needed medical attention. A fact that I explained to Wally as we left Rusturf tunnel.

To his credit, he seemed far more concerned with the health of the Pokemon than his own training. I should have expected as much, Wally wasn't a selfish person a lot of the time, if it all. If he had been, I certainly hadn't seen it in any case. Though he didn't receive the news that I'd delay training a little longer than just the poor Pokemon's recovery period all that well.

"So we have to wait until we get to Dewford?" He asked me, slightly deflated to hear such information.

"Yeah, I wanna get a move on. The way I figure it, we heal this little guy, then I buy us some cruise tickets to Dewford and we practice properly when we get there."

"Awwww..." He didn't so much pout as he did frown, but it was sad either way.

Still, I knew the quickest way to cheer him up.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Tell you what: when we get to Dewford I'll cook up something before we start training." I told him with a big grin.

The effect of that statement was both profound and immediate.

"R-Really?!  **Yes**!" He shouted happily, shoving his left fist into the air out of joy.

_Mission accomplished_.

Apparently the quickest way to cheer this muffin-top up was to bring the promise of cooked food. I worked to stifle a chuckle at his happiness. Honestly, I didn't know anyone else that could be so enthusiastic over a meal.

He seemed content with that, so we continued to walk onward, back toward Rustboro. I used a max repel on us for our stroll back, as I had no reason to come into conflict with any wild Pokemon. Not when I already had what I required. Plus, with repel in effect, Wally had no need to keep Gallade out of his ball, thus making the journey back a peaceful and quiet one. Well, it did, until Wally posed his next question half-way back to town.

"So, ummmm, Ruby..." He said, shattering the previous peace.

"Hmm?" I answered in an instinctive mumble, since I only just left my thoughts.

"What nickname are you gonna give Whismur?"

That was an interesting question, a question I hadn't given much thought to. That said, I did have a name in mind.

"... Din." I replied, throwing my hands back behind my head, continuing my leisurely pace.

"Din? That's all?" Wally inquired with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, of course. What, were you expecting something fancy like  _Forsythe_  or  _Xavier_?" I emphasised his chosen names teasingly, a smirk crossing my lips.

"N-No..." He huffed at me. "I was just surprised bec-"

_**BOOM** _

Before I knew what was going on, dust from some kind of impact behind me struck my back. Me and Wally both struggled to stay standing, but somehow we managed it. The green-haired boy's expression mimicked my thoughts.

_What the fuck just happened._

" _ **WALLY!**_ " Rang out a voice from the centre of the blast, as if to answer my internal question.

Whoever it was, they sounded really,  _really_  fucked off. I turned immediately in response to meet both the angry voice, and the source of that massive shock-wave.

The first thing I saw after pivoting was a Pokemon bigger than a small house, it's wing span alone eclipsing my body in size. Dark blue skin, wings as red as the blood in my veins and an icy, intimidating stare that made me shiver with dread.

I was face to face with a Salamance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, how was that? I'd like to stress again that I don't give out information needlessly a lot of the time. Anyway this chapter probably didn't *seem* eventful until the Salamance turned up (sorry for the cliff hanger, I have big plans for the next chapter I promise). I'll give you guys a few guesses as to who it might be, but I'm sure most of you know already.
> 
> As for the whole cruise to Dewford thing. While it's not cannon that Rustboro has a port, I always found it strange that it didn't and that you couldn't take a cruise to Dewford. It's just creative licence on my part so I don't have to bend to cannon too hard and complicate the story where I don't need too. That said, if you think I should have explicitly stuck with it, let me know, I'm always interesting in hearing how people think this story should go!
> 
> While we are here though, lets talk Whismur (and later, ship fluff). Brendan has fond memories of his dad, and his dad's Exploud was disgustingly good, lemme tell ya. It should come as no surprise that while Brendan is doing things his way, he'd want at least one of the Pokemon his father used in battle. Also, our poor Brendork is correct when he says sound is a powerful tool in battle. Big things on the horizon peeps, big things (but for now they are small things, oh noes).
> 
> On to the fluff: I felt that I needed to include a little bit more this chapter, and some really, really basic allusions to the beginnings of the ship. Nothing major, just thoughts from the characters and a whole heap of light-hearted ship moments. Poor Wally though; Forsythe can be such a Sassy pokemon :'( Speaking of those two actually, you'll notice I use different brackets for the both of them when they 'talk' to one another in their shared mindscape, this is just for identification.
> 
> Oh, and you guys should know Brendan's naming quirk by now, if not, it's ok. Plenty of Pokemon to go. I also kinda wanted to explain the reason behind Wally's naming quirk, but I thought the chapter would ramble on too hard if I did. Perhaps next chapter eh?
> 
> Anywho, I'll stop rambling like a madman and apologise for taking a bit with this chapter again. I hope you all enjoyed it though, and I think next chapter will be quite... exciting, if you ask me at least =P
> 
> See you all next week peeps, stay safe and happy~


	11. The tides of resolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Let me start by apologising for this one being a few hours late, my life has been so damn hectic lately. In fairness, this is the longest chapter I've written for this story thus far. I had so many things to consider when building the interaction and plot points for this chapter, since every single character we see being written here is relevant for later and a few more details are given/become clear. Technically I never actually promise weekly updates because I don't want to let anyone down, but I'd imagine people are used to this updating as frequently as it does. For said people, I apologise for my lateness, I've just had a lot on my plate lately is all.
> 
> Anyway, with that slightly negative note out of the way, let's get to the usual info:
> 
> Guest review replies are at the bottom in the end notes. Also, I appreciate all your reviews peeps :D, I love feedback. Whether it's to do with me making grammatical/spelling errors or discussing the nature of the story itself; positive or negative, reviews help me to improve, and thusly to make the story better for all of you! Don't be shy, I promise I don't bite at all!
> 
> Anywho, enjoy this weeks (incredibly long) chapter!

My Pokenav beeped; I almost jumped since I was still slightly on edge. My heart continued beating fast, but I consciously tried to quell it, this call was important and I had an air of confidence to maintain.

"I hope ye got what I asked for lass." The first words said by the person on the other end, not moments after I hit the answer button.

You'd think someone in my position would be warranted more trust, but our leader was always concerned with results. I supposed it was only fair, we'd only managed to come this far as a group thanks to that meticulous eye for detail, but that didn't make it any less annoying being treated like some common-place grunt.

"Easy as pie sir, Devon-corp didn't suspect a thing." I answered, not daring to let my annoyance seep into my voice.

"Good. Report back immediately Shelly, we've a storm to brew..."

He could act serious, but even I could catch the happiness in his voice at such news.

"Already on my way sir." I said, confidence coating my reply.

With that, I clicked the off button on the stupid Pokenav.

I'd come out the other end of that disgusting tunnel and I was now standing on the edges of Verdanturf. A small township who's only attraction for visitors was one measly contest hall, if you could even call a building that small a contest hall.

Still, Standing outside the other end of Rusturf tunnel, I was left to ponder the current state of affairs. Our plans were accelerating; me working under-cover for this long in Devon-corp meant that I was mostly oblivious to developments within my own organisation. Perhaps the lack of knowledge on my part was a poor show for an admin such as me, but then again, information gathering without being caught did take up a lot of my time.

Imagine my surprise when Archie told me how big a group we had become. To think so many could share his vision for a better world, a world Pokemon would benefit from. That was just like our leader; sure he was scary when he was mad, but boy could he instil confidence. I always got chills at his speeches; men with such passion were a rare sight these days.

All the little sacrifices would be worth it eventually; we only worked in the shadows because our role in changing the world necessitated it. Small scuffles, like the one between me and the Whismur in that cave were inevitable. Due to either difference in opinion or fear, it was a fact that others would oppose us. But we'd show the whole world a utopia soon enough, then everyone would have to accept our place at the top of global affairs; Team Aqua, lead Pokemon-welfare group of the new age.

Just thinking about it had me giddy, though it didn't ease my guilt from earlier. I hadn't meant to hurt that Pokemon, it just got in my way and wouldn't move. It was being territorial and may have been pissed off that I broke some of the boulders in the cave to get through. But it wasn't like I was given a choice; those fools at Rustboro abandoned their hope of finishing the tunnel, so I had to make my own way. Though I was sure I'd lost the corporate lackeys chasing me well before reaching route one hundred and sixteen, I still wanted to be as cautious as possible. Until I'd reached the end of this cave, I didn't stop moving.

If I was caught our plans would be ruined, and when it came down to it, Archie's ambition was  _much_  more important than an injured Whismur. Plus, for fear of being caught, I didn't have time to take it to a Pokemon centre.

I could only hope that it's ear would heal; that Mizu hadn't bitten hard enough to hit the bone. It was vicious of her, even for a Mightyena. She'd always been like that though, nothing I could do about that. I'd just have to chalk it down to the sacrifices necessary for our plan, it was likely the best way to deal with the guilt, at least that's what I planned on telling myself anyway.

Still, mild internal drama aside, I'd been running that whole time to get out of that cave, I needed a moment to breathe and get my bearings. There was little chance of anybody from Devon-corp catching me now so I had the luxury of a moment or two at least, but not much more. However, I could have sworn I'd heard faint laughter just before leaving Rusturf tunnel, but given how far I'd gotten from my pursuers, it was either imagined or came from irrelevant people.

My guess was on my imagination, a year of under-cover work shakes even a mind like mine with paranoia.

 _Praise fucking Arceus that was done and dusted_.

It took me about three minutes to pull my nerves, heart rate and breathing back to some semblance of normality. No sooner had I achieved that did I set off.

It was time to meet back up at HQ and get started on phase two.

* * *

" _ **WALLY!**_ " The voice shouted again, wrenching me from my shock consumed thoughts.

More than the Salamance came into focus this time; though I kept it in the corner of my vision out of fear, I could see now that someone was atop this beast. Scratch that actually; there were  _people_ , not just a single person on the back of that gigantic Pokemon. Three of them to be exact, an old guy, a man and a lady.

The lady, clad in a long, yet flowing, light green dress and black cardigan top dropped off the beast and landed on her low-heeled shoes. Honestly, I didn't know anyone that would dress so impractically for a flight on the back of a Pokemon, but her dress sense, oddly puffy-spiked hair style and pale-blue eyes reminded me of someone...

" _There you are Wally!_ "

Her expression was full of anger, touched with what I thought was concern. What shook me from my analysis of her appearance however was the volume of her voice. Whoever this woman was, She was clearly mad. Apparently this had something to do with Wally, so I turned my head right to see what the green-haired boy made of all this.

I kinda wished that I hadn't.

Of all the expressions I had seen on Wally's face; Sadness, joy, determination and even embarrassment. This one was new. A strange, palpable mix of surprise, fear, and a hint of anger. How he managed to put all three in an single face alone I couldn't really say. But the people before us, especially this woman, was the cause for it.

Either Wally really cared for this person, hated them for some reason, or felt both at the same time. The outlandishly scary expression he was wearing told me that it was likely both. I pondered the possibilities; tracking the Salamance as it lowered into a resting position, even then it seemed dangerous.

But I didn't have to absently ponder for long.

"M-mom..." Wally stated through gritted teeth.

_Mother?!_

That woman was his mom?! It was odd news at first, but considering her hair cut style and her pale blue eyes, it dawned on me that this very well could be his mother. But if that was the case then the other two...

_... His grandfather and his dad._

These were the people who brought in a dragon tamer to train a Pokemon like Forsythe. They were the ones that trained a Pokemon to be  _that_  strong in combat for one purpose and one purpose only: Wally's protection.

_Oh. Shit._

I'd completely forgotten that Wally had been the one to run away with me during all this, I'd been too caught up in my plans for the future. But now the reality of it all was standing right here before me, riding on top of a fucking Salamance no less. I shrunk in size what felt like ten times. His mother was angry, livid even, and his grandfather was an accomplished dragon-type trainer who no doubt owned the massive dragon they'd flown in on.

I gulped.

"Wally, your coming with us. We're going back home right now young man!" His mother yelled with a force to match Forysthe for power.

For the longest time, Wally's head was bowed, I couldn't see his expression clearly and for a few seconds I thought he was just going to kneel to her wishes. But I was wrong.

"... N-... N-No" The reply came through locked teeth as the boy continued staring at his feet.

" _Excuse me?_ " She asked my companion with a 'don't you dare' tone.

Wally wasn't one to be courageous, at least in social situations like this, I had to wonder where he drew the strength to even say no the first time. That was probably his limit though, it was likely he'd cave now and just go with them. Thinking about it, I supposed it was sa-

"I said no." Came the resolute response instead.

_Holy sweet Arceus in heaven, do my ear's deceive me?!_

That certainly wasn't what I was expecting, and judging from the look on his mother's face, neither was she.

"...Wally, I don't care what silly idea you have in your head right now, because you  _are_ coming home. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for someone with your condition to wander around?! You should know by now you can't run off like this!" She shouted louder than before.

She wasn't used to Wally's confidence, it was easy to tell from her voice faltering just slightly in the beginning. Though his self-assurance wasn't the only thing Wally's mother had to deal with now.

It was true that Wally leaving like this was technically advantageous to me because it saved me the trouble of letting him tag along. However, while a mother's concern was a touching thing, from my experience such a thing didn't exist, and it wasn't too long ago that my own mother was disregarding everything I'd been telling her. Like hell I was going to let this person just waltz in here and tell Wally what she thought he should be doing. Salamance be fucking damned.

Well, half-damned, I'm not so brave as to completely ignore that gargantuan Pokemon.

"... E-Excuse me, but he's been doing just f-fine if you ask me." I said, trying hard to maintain my resolve and composure mid-sentence.

For his part, my green-haired companion looked at me with surprise; despite still being visibly shaken, I could make out a small hint of happiness in his expression. Merely a shard of joy, but it did wonders for my confidence. Too bad that would be shattered by his mother's fierce reply.

"And just  _who_  the hell are you?!" She began, finally acknowledging my existence. "What gave you the right to tell me how my son was doing?!"

She took in my appearance, her livid stare alone would be fatal if a look could kill someone. Thankfully it softened just a tiny bit a moment later, but not by much.

"... Wait... Your eyes... You're that red-eyed kid Jennifer was harping on about! You're the one that saved Wally in Petalburg!"

Her attitude dampened even further after realising who I was, but she was still incredibly annoyed.

"Look, thanks plenty for saving my child. But he is coming back with us, it's for his own good you see an-"

"I'm not... I'm not coming with you mom. I-I... I'm fed up with being treated like I can't do a-anything!" Wally squeaked; he was upset under that outward show of bravado.

The green-haired muffin-top wasn't looking at the floor any more. There was a fire in his eyes now, a small flicker of determination. His mother considered him for a moment, obviously not expecting this show of defiance to go on as long as it had.

"... Is that what all this was about? Look sweetheart, I know that you want to do everything that all the kids your age do. But you have to realise that you can't... Imagine if we'd found you in a hospital or  _worse_..."

I might be the most empathetically oblivious person around, but I'd been emotionally blackmailed all my life by the hag that called itself my mother, and I knew without a shard of doubt the card this woman was trying to play. Guilting Wally like that, even if it was genuine concern that motivated her, it just wasn't right. Sure Wally might have a disadvantageous illness, but so far it hasn't affected him even half as bad as she was making it out to be. I understood her need to protect him. It was a fair bet that Wally did too; yet she seemed incapable from seeing it from his perspective.

It was that kind of ignorance that just ticked me off,  _big time_.

"You know..." I began, cementing my involvement, and therefore my fate. "... I don't think you've actually seen what your son can do." Yep,  _totally_   _doomed_.

" _What_?" Her eyes bulged out of the shock that I would even speak again.

It was almost like a demand, as if she was daring me to speak just once more so she could tear me asunder with Pokemon just behind her.

A dare I'd meet head on.

"Oh yeah, you couldn't know because you didn't see it, but your son." I gestured to the green-haired wonder at my side. "He travelled all the way here and defeated Roxanne in battle with not a single lick of help." I stated loudly, resolve solidifying.

She appeared to have a mental malfunction at hearing such information, and it seemed my declaration stirred the movement of her entourage. While she formulated her next response, both the old guy and the man got off the dragon. They arrived, sporting equally surprised and intrigued faces, as Wally's mother launched into yet another tirade.

"You did what?!" She shouted at Wally before continuing. "You're sick Wally! You have trouble breathing half the time and yet you thought it'd be a good idea to go barking orders at Gallade so you could fight a gym leader?!" Her yell eclipsed Whismur's screech in volume, which was impressive to say the least.

Not impressive enough to stop me from correcting her though.

"He didn't actually 'bark orders', Wally did something  _entirely_  different. Do you even know how he battles?" I said flatly.

I knew I'd bite some kind of bullet for saying that, and I was right to think so. No sooner had the question been asked did she turn to me, her face full of menace and rage.

"There you go opening your mouth again! I don't know who you think you are young man, but if you don't stop butting into my family's business I swear on Arc-"

"Lily. Stop." Came a new voice, the old man to be exact.

You wouldn't think such a soft-spoken command would have any effect, but Wally's mother went deadly silent.

"Y'know, I've been worried about our little Wally just as much as you, but you're going overboard a little." He spoke again, the worry on his face easing just a tiny bit for seeing calm descend upon her.

His presence was becoming more pronounced through speech alone, making me more attentive to his appearance as a result. The old guy was sporting odd clothing for someone of his age, well, mostly his hoodie was out of the ordinary. Everything else, like his black dress shoes, slack brown pants and semi-formal soft-blue shirt seemed normal enough. I couldn't really imagine why he thought a hoodie of all things matched that kind of clothing style, but then again it didn't really matter.

"He's been risking his damn life Darren, I'm not overreacting at all!" Lily shouted, interrupting my thoughts.

She spoke indignantly, as if the opposition from him was unwarranted.

"Sounds more like he beat a gym leader to me, but that aside, have you even been paying attention to Wally at all while you've been squawking?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.

Lily had actually been keeping an eye on Wally, but the question was more loaded towards her not noticing the changes in Wally's emotional state. Sure enough, when she began to look a little closer, his mother finally recognised the boy's expression for what it really was.

Nothing but pure determination.

Though he was shaken and clearly not used to giving any sort of rebellion, Wally didn't budge an inch thus far, at least not mentally. He hadn't said much at all and he wasn't shouting when he did have something to say either; the boy had kept his cool and was stating his case when he could, with me intervening in between. Honestly, I saw a little of myself in him right now.

Lily on the other hand seemed to realise this expression was just as much a plea as it was defiance.

"...Wally, pumpkin... I know you're probably really happy to have beaten a gym leader..."

Apparently all it took to quell her anger was a statement from the old man she called Darren and the realisation that her child wasn't rebelling for rebellion's sake, but she wasn't finished speaking just yet. Lily pulled her self down to Wally's eye level first before continuing her tiny lecture.

"... But you have to come back with us sweetie, we don't want you to get hurt is all..." Her voice had lost it's edge, she was showing signs of kindness again.

But it still annoyed me how his mother could think she knew better. The little muffin-top may have been sick and may have even been hurt a little on our travels thus far, but he was far from being in danger. Especially with someone like me around to watch over him. There was no way for me to know how bad Wally's condition used to be, however, he damned sure wasn't any where near as severe now.

"L-Look, I kn-know you mean well m-mom, but... I'm tired of being stuck in Petalburg, I wanna travel like other trainers do..." The boy said quietly, his expression easing just a tiny bit.

Sadly, Lily would have none of it. The kind approach had failed, now she'd likely switch back to using authority or asking someone else for their help in the matter.

"Thomas, help me out here! He's just not listening!" She shouted toward the other man.

_Fucking bingo._

Though her request for assistance drew attention to the man called Thomas, whom until now I hadn't really noticed, he didn't appear to like the idea of helping to begin with. His dress sense was little more casual than the old grandpa, he'd just thrown on a pair of brown shorts, a white shirt and basic sneakers; though admittedly the white shirt seemed off when compared with his bright and vivid green, yet flat-hanging hair.

The man shifted uncomfortably, to me he looked like he wanted to agree and help, but he regarded Wally's expression a lot more than she did. Not that it stopped him of course, it appeared that Lily had him under her thumb.

"Wally... Your mother is right y'know..." He sighed in a resigned fashion.

"Exactly!" She grabbed Wally's hand. "Now let's go home."

This was about the point where Wally's confidence ran out; it was a good show on his part, but past this point he just lacked the will to stop her. Maybe he respected her too much, or perhaps he had begun to agree with her. It was impossible for me to tell really, however, that didn't make it any less... well... sad. Wally had been a ball of energy the whole way here, but now he just looked completely spent. It just didn't sit right with me, I had to do something to help him. Anything at all.

Which is why, for the second time today, I ran my mouth without even thinking about it.

"What if I looked after him?" I blurted out as she began pulling the poor boy with her.

 _Whoops_.

The old man was the only person who didn't look at me like I'd gone mad. Well, he was, until Wally turned his head to reveal the happiest looking surprised face I'd ever seen.

"What?" Both his mother and father said in unison.

_Your in too deep now Brendan, better to just push ahead and worry about the consequences later._

"Well, the way I figure it, you aren't happy with him wandering around on his own without proper care. I can look after him, that way he get's what he wants too."

It was foolish to say such a thing, I did after all have every intention of battling him and winning my way out of that agreement. But I'd put forward my thoughts in haste with the intent of helping, only to find I had the metaphorical gun pointed at my foot with the safety off.

 _Double whoops_.

"And just what in the hell makes you think I'd tru-"

"Actually Lily, this young man's idea sits well with me." Wally's grandfather interjected. "You've been protecting him, but you've also been smothering him far too much. If he has someone to care for him in your stead who can move about the region, then the little scamp can have his dreams without worrying you. I think it's plenty fair. This young man has already saved him once and it's a fair guess that he's been watching over Wally up until now."

Her eyes boggled like she'd just been struck in the face with a Beldum.

"Th-that doesn't mean he can  _actually_  take care of him! I'm not going to just leave my child in the hands of some kid we barely know!" She shouted in protest.

"Lily, he saved Wally during an asthmatic collapse, I'd think he's quite capable. Besides, our little Wally seems to know him well enough." Darren stated blandly.

Personally, I couldn't believe my ears, the old guy was actually in favour of the muffin-top leaving with me. Speaking of said muffin-top, he clearly couldn't believe it either. Happiness had since replaced his earlier despair and it now danced across is face vibrantly; his cheer returning was a good sign, but we weren't out of the woods just yet.

"Tho-Thomas! Help me out here!" Man, she had a bad habit of shouting.

What I presumed to be Wally's father shifted even more this time, he appeared to be considering the situation, at least more so than his wife. I was beginning to suspect the only person so invested in keeping Wally at home was just his mother.

My suspicions were soon proved to be true.

"Actually Lily, Darren and this boy have a point. If someone can look after him while he's out travelling, then I don't have a problem with him leaving. He's overdue anyway; his peers left for their training journey years ago."

The look she gave after hearing that was akin to kicked Poochyena; it was difficult not to chuckle, but I managed to keep a lid on my amusement.

" _You can't be serious Thomas!_ " She shouted at the man, anger fairly evident in the force of her speech.

It appeared Wally's father was as much intimidated by her as Wally himself was. He didn't look like he desired to push his point further; if anything he was ostensibly  _less_  resilient than my travelling companion. Evidenced by the fact that he seemed to get that tiny bit smaller after his wife raised her volume a few notches. That and the secondary fact that he started twiddling his thumbs (so that's where it came from) while staring at the floor.

"I think he is, and I agree with him Lily." The old man stated, calm as ever.

Her face was terrifying enough as it was and though she clearly respected his opinion, Lily was  _quite_  far from agreeing with this old guy. The proof of which was the massive increase in the intensity of her glare at him. Yet, for all that menace in her eyes, Darren was unmoved. Non-chalantly, he held her stare briefly; a merely casual glance at best, but she faltered. I couldn't possibly know the wordless understanding between them or how it had a occurred, but Lily didn't speak further.

Not that it did anything to soften her death glare.

"... I can't believe this..." She said, somehow managing to mix anger and exasperation into a single tone.

Personally, it was unreal how much influence that old man possessed, or even that he held back on using it in the first place. Wally's family was quite the mystery, but if his mother was any indication of how crazy they could be, it wasn't an enigma that I wanted to crack. Regardless of the riddle of his familial relations, Wally's mother was outnumbered now two-to-one. Which meant that my (completely accidental) promise to watch over the muffin-top was likely to be paid out after all.

For her part, Lily paced up and down in short bursts for the next thirty seconds. Seemingly coming to terms with being out-voted; though she certainly wasn't being out-glared. To the contrary, what I thought was the darkest stare she could give deepened further still. The full, terrifying and brutal majesty of which I got to behold when Lily turned in my direction, walking slowly toward me as her scowl grew darker and more malicious.

Since she was tall, Lily bent her knees just a tad when she reached me; making sure that our eyes were level and that I could see the murderous anger behind those soft pale-blue eyes of hers. Never-mind daggers, if the look she was giving could spawn any kind of weapon then it was fairly certain I was about to be hit with an orbital fucking laser. I wasn't shaking, not because of bravery, but the fact that she had me frozen in shear, fearful terror.

"... If anything happens to my little munchkin..." She whispered to me so nobody could overhear, holding my gaze. "... You'd better pray to Arceus that I  _never_  see you again. Because if I do,  _I'll re-purpose your spine for a coat hanger_. Understand me?"

I gulped, nodded and almost shat my pants at the same time.

If it weren't for the fact that other people were here, I'd have probably soiled myself. Wally was so sweet and kind, but his mother.  _Sweet Arceus his mother_. Lily had to be the source of Wally's determination, praise Arceus that he hadn't inherited the darker sides of that. In fact, I was fairly convinced not even that powerful deity of a Pokemon could save me from this woman if she wanted to kill me.

As she walked back I let out my held breath; hopefully I'd never have to deal with her again after this.

"Darren, if this backfires..." It was a quiet threat, but it was laced with malice.

"Yes, I know Lily. But I can see Wally's potential, this is a good thing." He deflected with a passiveness that could only amaze me.

" _Hmph_ " She grunted as she climbed atop the resting Salamance.

Lily signalled for Thomas to follow suit and join her on the beast. Reluctantly, the man complied and sauntered over to the beast, climbing up it's side with a tiny bit of effort. Once he had done so, Lily returned her gaze to the old guy, the only on in their group not yet on the massive dragon Pokemon.

"Ok then. Jump on Darren." She spoke with haphazardly disguised annoyance.

"Actually, go on ahead with  _Aurelia,_  I'll ride back on  _Zacheriah_."

"What? Why?!" Lily asked, not even attempting to hide her irritation this time.

"I have a thing or two I want to say to Wally before I go. Don't worry, I won't be long."

"... Fine." She huffed. "Aurelia, let's head off!"

Her shout roused a yawn out of the humongous Pokemon as it got up from it's resting position, spreading it's wings in the process. Without missing a beat, Aurelia flapped it's wings and took off; slow at first but gathering an impressive speed once it got high enough. My attention was solely captured on it's movements through the air until Darren spoke again.

"I'm sorry Wally." He said with a smile, while reaching for a chain around his neck.

"Huh? Why?" The boy asked in return, just as perplexed as I was for such an apology.

"Because I should have given these to you a while ago." He said, presenting two objects.

The first was a pendant, an oddly shaped piece of jewellery with an even more weirdly coloured gemstone inside of it. The pattern on the stone seemed unnatural and the rock itself was every colour of the rainbow. Apparently, Darren had been wearing it around his neck and underneath his shirt.

The second object was a Pokeball that the old man had pulled out of one of his hoodie's pockets. Much like the stone inside of his pendant, the Pokeball was oddly patterned itself. I'd never seen a Pokeball with a cloudy night sky motif on it. It even looked hand-painted...

"The pendant is an heirloom given to the eldest in the family, it's meant to signify coming of age and going on the usual pilgrimage that young trainers do." He began, interrupting my thoughts. "And this Pokeball contains our newest family member. She was meant to be your next companion, but my daughter didn't like the idea of her son having another Pokemon..."

His mild, contemplative frown could have meant a whole lot of things. However, I thought it suggested that he held Lily in high enough regard to abide by how she treated Wally most of the time, despite being unhappy with her decisions. Of course I could be wrong, but I didn't want to intrude and ask.

"But it doesn't matter now y'know. I had my doubts about whether or not you were ready for something like this Wally, but I saw it." He said, a grin edging back onto his features.

"What do you mean grandpa? What did you see?" My green-haired friend questioned in confusion.

"I saw the spark of determination I used to have. It takes a hell of a lot to stand up to Lily, I didn't think you'd do it."

Darren had that fucking right. Lily was the most horrify person I'd ever met in my life, and I'd only talked to her for less than ten minutes. Still, disregarding that, I focused back onto the conversation at hand. It seemed Darren had something he wanted to say to me as well.

"And  _you_  young man. Very impressive for you to do the same. I see great potential in the both of you, and with you keeping my grandson safe I've no doubt he'll succeed." He said, smile growing brighter by the second.

"... Anyway, take these Wally, it's high time they become yours now."

The old man passed on both the Pokeball and the symbolic pendant; funnily enough, said pendant fit Wally and his outfit, odd rainbow gemstone and all.

"Thanks grandpa!" The boy squeaked, briefly hugging him.

Darren withdrew, a wide smile still dominating his expression, as he took stock of both of us.

"Either way, I'll stop rambling like the old coot that I am." He began, pulling out a Pokeball and pressing the safety release. "And don't worry you two, I'll keep Lily off your backs." He continued, tossing the ball lightly on the ground.

A bright flash sprung from the impact point, causing me to raise my hands on instinct, deflecting the momentary glare. When the light show was over, another dragon-type was revealed. This time it was a Dragonite, and it was a whole heap kinder looking than that Salamance from before.

"Anyhow, I've places to be. Don't get into too much trouble and stay safe, ok champ?" He said, grinning all the while.

At least I knew which side of the family Wally's charming smiles and kindness came from; though it had definitely skipped a generation between the old man and Wally.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine grandpa! I'll make sure to visit you, dad and mom sometime!" The boy exclaimed, giving just such a smile in return.

"Good to hear it, I look forward to seeing how strong you get my boy!"

With that, the old guy jumped onto Dragonite's back and settled in.

"Zacheriah, take me back to Petalburg" He told the dragon calmly.

_At least now I know where Wally gets his wacky names from too._

Darren maintained his calm, even as the Dragonite left the ground and began to soar through the sky in mere seconds. Obviously he was quite the dragon tamer to ride so easily through the air; me and Flygon couldn't match that kind precision going at such a speed in the sky.

As his grandfather left Wally let out a sigh, probably out of relief, which I gladly mimicked. Today had dragged on for a long time, being that it was now late in the afternoon. We still had Whismur to take to the Pokemon centre for a quick heal-up and on top of that I'd have to set up for some cruise tickets.

Not wanting to waste a minute, I decided it was time to get the ball rolling yet again.

"Wally."

"Yeah?"

"Let's get moving." I stated, beginning to walk.

"Sure!" came the enthusiastic reply from behind me.

His energetic demeanour had returned, which was certainly welcome. Given that, I was hopeful; before day's end we'd more than likely be well on our way to Dewford.

_Second gym badge here I come._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! Now that you're here I can talk about a few things :3
> 
> Firstly, you'll notice that the Whismur incident wasn't actually random and convenient for the sake of writing, it actually had a purpose (and technically still does). Secondly, in this chapter you would have also noticed the introduction of team aqua, two of their prominent members and even the fact that they not only stole a valuable thing/bits of information from Devon-corp, but that Devon-corp knows that they stole such things. All the detail you see in the opening scene, right down to Mightyena's name (bonus points if anyone gets the reference) is critically important.
> 
> This story is to have multiple arcs, and the resolution of an arc involving team water-nerd is one such story pillar, but all my arcs actually will affect one another in some way. I plan for this story to be both long and awesome (with a nice amount of ralts/loverival-shipping thrown in for very good measure), so it logically follows that all the arcs will hold purpose for character/plot development and that they link up at points. This is something to keep in mind as the story goes on and as I reveal more about my version of events.
> 
> Anywho, team aqua stuff aside, it should also be apparent that Wally's family each have some of the traits that he possesses (but not all, he's actually the only person in his family who can psychic link or draw really well. He's also the only one with an illness). I also showed the source of Wally's naming quirk, or rather, his inspiration for naming his Pokemon the way he does. I'm aware in-canon Wally technically makes the mega-pendant himself (yes that pendant his grandpa gave him DOES house a mega catalyst stone), but to remove story complication I just switched things around a little. Speaking of switching canon around to make more sense though; the video game requires that Pokemon hold items to mega-evolve. While this is a good thing for game balance reasons, it kinda seems a little clunky for fic reasons, so I'm not sure if I should bother to keep it that way. I may just let mega-evolution happen regardless of hold items. If you don't like this idea, or if you have a better one for MegEvo, then let me know! I don't want to write it out if everybody would prefer it be in!
> 
> (as an aside for mega-evolution, Wally isn't aware that the pendant can mega-evolve something, and even if he was, he still wouldn't be able to do it right now. In fact, at this point, both he and Brendan have zero clue about what mega-evolution even is. This is to keep things interesting for later, you'll see ;D)
> 
> And yeah, Wally's mother is hella scary, hella terrifying.
> 
> Anywho, I should leave it there peeps. I have work in the morning and I'm so very tired. Cheers for all your support thus far and have wonderful week! I'll see you all for the next instalment, and hopefully next time it won't be delayed a couple hours.


	12. Family matters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo everyone! Though I'm not actually late with this update I would very much like to apologise. I've been ill since friday morning and the headache and general malaise that came with (along with my interrupted sleep) kinda slowed this update a tiny bit. I did actually want to get this done sooner, but I didn't really feel 100% So, sorry for taking a little longer with this one, but it's here now!
> 
> I'd also like to apologise to anybody who reads my profile on FFNet for my 'Fic progress' updates that I leave on it. I didn't update it at all this week despite working away on the thing all week because I'd forgotten about it, my bad ^_^; . (To make up for this, I have a small, nice surprise lined up for you guys, so stay tunned!)
> 
> Anyway, with my apologies out of the way, I'd like to point out that I adore any and all feedback. Did I make a scene to long? Did I fail to detail something adequately? Did I characterise a character wrong? All of these are questions I ask myself, but since this is a personal work, there's only so much improving I can do on my own. Please, positive or negative criticism or feedback of any kind is very welcome, since all of it will be used to help me improve my writing, and by extension, the fic itself. If you liked or disliked anything then let me know! I don't bite at all and I love to hear everyone else's input about this story!
> 
> Anywho, dig in peeps, I hope you enjoy this weeks chapter, and I'll see you at the end notes!

Gym battles and rabid family members; my life had gotten just a bit crazier since meeting Ruby. I was happy about it of course; adventuring and battles were right up my alley. But I hadn't counted on my family finding me at all, never mind how quickly they managed to do so. Grandpa was cool as always, never bowing to my mom at any point and defending my desire to leave, I loved him too bits. Well, I loved them all, but my dad never stood up to Mom, and she never backed down from anything for that matter.

Not that it mattered terribly much, grandpa had seen to it, with Ruby's help, that Mom and dad wouldn't get in my way again. Speaking of the red-eyed wonder, he was the biggest surprise in all of this. I honestly thought he wanted to be rid of me, and though the thought of it made me sad it seemed completely true. But progressively, over the short few days I'd gotten to know him, he repeatedly came to my aid. What made this time different was simple: he disregarded our deal entirely.

Ruby completely ignored his will to rid me through a battle and offered,  _ **willingly**_ , to look after me so that I could do what I set out to accomplish. I didn't understand how he could so easily abandon his earlier plans, but I was pretty happy that he valued me enough to protest for my freedom on my behalf.

Me being kept away from the world until now meant that I didn't have many friends, if any at all. Ruby though; if I could call anyone my best friend, it'd be him. Despite how little time I'd spent with him on the whole, I was convinced of this fact. Hell, he was evening paying for my cruise fare. I offered to do so myself, but when he told me how much it was I just couldn't front up money I didn't have.

Hanging my head in defeat for hearing that information, I allowed Ruby to pay for the ticket when we got to the port near Devon-corp. Though actually getting to that point was more time consuming than either of us anticipated, since we had to take a round about pathway to the docking point for our cruise ship, due to the massive police blockade near the Corporation's main building. The architecture of said building was odd for a company that prided itself on innovation (at least that's what it's ads for the Pokenav said). It was a weird blend of modern style and an almost church-like undertone, which didn't fit very well with blaring blue and red lights from the police vehicles below.

Not that I knew enough about architecture or style for that matter, but it was interesting at least. Though what captured both my attention and Ruby's was less the building itself, and more the sheer amount of police surrounding the place. This morning we hadn't seen anything like that outside their offices while we walked to the gym, hell, we hadn't seen much of anything near the Devon-Corp building. The whole place become a hive of activity seemingly out of nowhere.

But we didn't stick around to ask anybody why, we had a boat to catch after all, and Ruby being Ruby, there wasn't time to waste digging around for information we didn't really need. To be fair, curiosity was nibbling away at me over it, but the whole scene faded from my mind pretty fast once I got onto our designated ship.

Why?

Well, the extravagance of our ride may have had a lot to do with that. I mean, for the cost Ruby was willing to pay I shouldn't have been surprised, but did it really need to have all the fancy add ons that it did?

Only Ruby would want a ship with a massive pool on deck, a bar serving anything and everything under the sun with the delicious food to match, and all the amenities in between. I wasn't going to complain about it, since anybody in their right mind would love to go on a cruise like this for a vacation, but that didn't make it any less absurd that Ruby had managed to pay for all this. Plus, I was fairly certain that to him at least, such a ridiculous amount of money was next to nothing.

I could feel my curiosity return with a vengeance when I remembered how little I actually knew about the red-eyed trainer.

He'd never talked about his past, his family, or even why he had so much money. The money itself was the most perplexing thing of all though, since he couldn't have battled for it until now and that left very few other occupations for someone his age in which he could have accrued wealth of a high magnitude. However, none of those remaining options could come close to offering the kind cash Ruby flaunted on a daily basis, so it left me quite confused to say the least.

Exactly why I decided to ask a few more questions about my newest friend while we relaxed at the poolside on the ship deck. Ruby had just gotten out of the pool from what was his now sixth consecutive dive when I sat up a tiny bit in my deck chair, and started to ask the question that had been nagging at me since boarding this high-society vessel.

"So... Uhhhh... Ruby..." I began, shifting a little to get a comfortable position on my deck-chair. "Why are you... ummmm... so rich exactly? I-I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but erm..."

"Oh." He answered, turning his gaze from the pool to me. "Well, you could call it my inheritance."

He was standing up and covered head to toe with water, obviously because he'd just taken a swim in the pool. He'd long since abandoned his shirt, and donned some togs he'd bought at a store on the dock. Why he hadn't taken his beanie off while swimming was anybody's guess, but it didn't detract from the fact that his toned torso was glistening in the fading sun thanks to all that water. A fact that was slowing my reply until I consciously moved it from my thought process.

"... Huh? Inheritance?" I responded quickly, to disguise the fact that I hadn't said anything while looking at him for a second or so, hoping to high heaven he hadn't noticed.

"Yeah, it originally belonged to someone else in my family." He stated blandly.

I let out a silent sigh of relief, he hadn't noticed after all. Still, his statement seemed... Off. He said it with a straight face, but there was a small falter in his expression. For the briefest of moments I could make out a frown. A flicker at best, but it did occur, I was convinced of it. But why frown? It was possible he was remembering the death of the family member who had all this money, and if that was the case I would feel a little guilty for asking. But people normally frown for much longer where dead relatives were concerned, his expression was brief, which suggested annoyance more than grief.

What exactly he was annoyed about I couldn't really say, however, I was interested in hearing more about his family, being that it was the only topic he himself had never actually visited. The money he talked about when using it, his goal was apparent and he loved his Pokemon enough to discuss them at length. That said, Ruby hadn't uttered a single word about his family until that last question. What did his parents think about him spending so much? I mean, my mother wouldn't even let me leave the house without someone to look after me. Surely his family was worried, or at least missed him.

"S-so did your parents want you to go on this journey like everyone els-"

"No." Came a curt interruption, laced with an almost unnoticeable anger.

_Almost._

Though his face barely changed, I had said something he didn't want to think about. Whatever it was it only fuelled my curiosity. Anger was a warning I should probably take more seriously, however faint, but I really did want to know more about his family.

"So then... how did you get to leave for a training journey if your Mom and dad didn't want you to go?" I asked innocently.

It wasn't a loaded question, merely genuine curiosity and nothing more, so in theory it should have been just as easy to answer. The scowl forming on Ruby's face suggested otherwise. He took a lot longer than I expected to reply, that's for sure.

"My Dad would have wanted me to go..." He began "Mom didn't though, so I left." He responded, face scrunching slightly when he reached the word 'Mom'.

What caught my attention wasn't his apparent unease conveyed by that statement, but more the way he'd worded that reply. For one, it was vague; whether he was being  _intentionally_  unclear or not was something I wasn't sure about, but he was doing it all the same. After all, he made no mention of why he was forbidden to go, only that he had been. Perhaps the most striking problem in his articulation however, hazy mystery aside, was the fact that his Dad ' _would_  have wanted' him to go. What could he even mean by that?

"Isn't would past tense? Did your Dad change his mind because of your Mom or-"

"My Dad's dead Wally." He interjected.

_Welp, look what your curiosity got you into Wally. Trouble, that's what._

Guilt struck me, ruining whatever line of questioning I had next. I felt so horrible for even asking anything at all; more so when I remembered that his money had been  _inherited_ and that his father was  _dead_.

_Oh my Arceus, why am I so stupid?!_

His initial anger earlier wasn't annoyance, it was grief after all; I had read him completely wrong. I felt like a total scum-bag because I  _knew_ my inane questions upset him, I could tell quite easily that they had. He didn't appear angry by any means, but his expression showed faint traces of sadness, which only served to make me feel even worse. I had to do something. Anything to atone for letting my inquisitiveness go as far as it had.

"U-uhhhhh, sorry... I d-didn't mean to... I j-just... y'know..."

But the words didn't come, at least not how I had intended them too. I had failed to communicate yet again and it only fanned the flame of guilt. Ironically, the person to snuff that flame out wasn't me.

"It's ok, it's only natural you'd be curious. Just don't ask me about my parents ok? I don't really want to talk about them." The red-eyed boy replied, a soft smile working its way onto his face.

I knew he was smiling more for me than himself, but that didn't make me feel better for asking when I shouldn't have, especially since hints of sadness remained. Still, I was glad that he was smiling at least. It was a good sign, and truth be told, I did know a little bit more about Ruby than before. Not that I could justify being nosy for such small gain.

"Anyway Wally, I'm going for another swim, it's surprisingly warm out." Ruby stated, interrupting my train of thought.

With that, my travelling companion walked toward the pools edge, took in a hefty gulp of air and jumped. The impact of his body hitting the water's surface sent some of said water flying out of the pool, but thankfully, none of it hit me. Though it did hit a poor Poochyena that had been wandering the pool side. The poor thing yelped and I couldn't help but chuckle, perhaps it was slightly mean, but a little bit of laughter would help me forgot how stupid I'd been just now.

Ok, so maybe a  _lot_ of laughter, but it was a start.

With my friend in the pool, and nothing to do for the next hour, I decided to pay a visit to the left side of the ship deck so I could catch the view. Getting out of my deck-chair, I pulled myself to my feet and took a puff out of my only inhaler, then meandered over to the deck side at a leisurely pace. Sure enough, when I got there the sun was just about to set over the bustling city of Rustboro. The way the light cascaded softly down the skyscrapers; how it danced in between the gaps of the concrete towers and off the windows, combined with the calm, subdued colours of the buildings themselves. It all culminated together to create an enchanting scene. Like it had been delivered straight out of a picture book. Though the beautiful scenery was blemished a tad by what looked to be a lone Skarmory, as it flew clean over our boat and toward the otherwise peaceful metropolis.

Still, it was gorgeous enough to warrant a drawing, and I'd be sure to capture it all on paper when me and Ruby got back to our luxary cabin later. Until then though, there was naught to do but sink into gentle daydreams inspired by the lovely sight before me.

* * *

It was late evening, around the point where the sun had only just departed from the sky when I touched down. Athena was tired from all the flying and landed in front of the Pokemon centre with far less grace than I was used too. Though it jolted me enough that I almost fell off her back, I couldn't bring myself to blame her, I'd been flying a lot lately after all.

I felt bad for her, I really did, but that wouldn't change my predicament. There would be much more flying to do after this; a simple fact, but one neither of us could change. Of course, that didn't mean I couldn't treat Athena later for all her hard work, sadly all I could do now though was pat her head before calling her back into her Pokeball. It seemed mean to leave it at that, but there was business to be attended too.

I had a lead.

A very,  _very_  important lead. Insight gleaned from the shop assistant back in Petalburg told me that, yes, my goal was wearing a disguise to get by. Not that anybody else had realised that, but it was fairly obvious to me thanks to me possessing all the information I currently did. Brendan did withdraw an absurd amount of money from an ATM within Petalburg's Pokemon centre. Then, from the same location and within a similar time frame, a boy sporting a white beanie, brown shorts, a red top and the eye colour to match waltzed right into the Pokemart. According to the witness of this whole thing, just before the other child in the store collapsed, said red-eyed boy flashed the kind of money not even the floor managers of that store could hope to make in years.

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together and understand that both the beanie kid and my target were one in the same. If anything, it was so obvious that it was almost painful. Honestly, I never imagined I'd have information on his appearance so quickly. Better yet; even though I might not have asked outright for what he bought in that store, the assistant still listed off the larger purchases. Anybody who buys  _thirty_  full restores has only one of two goals in mind. Either they are established within the breeding scene, or they intended to battle a  _lot_ of people.

If one is intending to be battling a high amount, then it's a fair guess that plan includes gym challenges. Which made my job a whole deal simpler than before. If Cassie's kid was actively challenging gyms then not only could I track him through league database records, but I could also predict his position based on his last official challenge. In order to do that though, I had to find out if the last two challenges on the nearest gym fit the bill of my prey at large. I could assume of course, but I didn't want to spend time chasing a dud. Confirmation was entirely necessary.

It was time to pay a long overdue visit to the stalwart, yet fair leader of this city. A visit I wish had been more about friendly catch up than finding someone else's brat, but circumstances weren't so kind this time. Exactly why I didn't have time to muck about; after I'd finished looking through my item storage in the Pokemon centre for a specific accessory I might need later, I strode out the door and towards the gym.

On my way there I allowed my mind to wander; I took the time to think everything through and to process the fact that my dad's company building was currently swarming with police. I'd pay a visit there next after I was done with my current task. Though I knew my father could handle most situations without me, it didn't stop me from worrying about the sheer number of law enforcement that were standing at the foot of his door. It was likely an attack, possibly by Pokemon terrorist groups, or maybe just someone entirely delusional. Such attacks were usually the only circumstances that many police could be involved. Whatever the case may be, it was a mystery I'd solve later.

Right now, pinpointing Brendan's location was at the top of my agenda.

Which was probably why I was so annoyed to enter Roxanne's gym only to find it empty apart from the league admin at the door, who, as far as I could tell, knew nothing on her whereabouts. None of her students, or even the stalwart leader herself were present. The gym held about as much life as a Banette right now. Of all the times for her to be absent, today had to be it.

_Where on earth could she ha-_

**Beep**

My Pokenav went off and started ringing; echoing it's distasteful drone faintly throughout the massive hallways of the empty gym.

_I swear, if this is Cassandra, I'm going to lose it._

In anger, I clicked answer without even looking at the caller ID.

"Steven! You picked up this time!" Came a youthful and happy answer.

That was far to cheerful to be Cassie, if anything it sounded like...

"Roxanne, is that you?" I said back, confused at this sudden turn of events.

" _So you do remember me_." She chimed in jest. "I'm surprised you even picked up the phone, you usually the type to be in bed for most of the day, I honestly thought you'd have gone to sleep by now."

"Oh believe me, I'd like to be. Anyway, where are you? You aren't in your gym right now and it's not even closing time." I asked, still slightly perplexed.

I was met with stunned silence, and for a small moment I thought she'd had a stroke or something. Well, until my ear got blasted into another dimension when she shouted down the line.

" **Wait?! You're actually here, in Rustboro?! Right now?!** "

I almost dropped the Pokenav out of shock and pain. Yet, through some miracle, I steeled my grip on the device and held it steady. I understood why she might be surprised, but why on earth would she be  _that_  excited to know I was here? Sure I never visited all that often, but I was pretty certain I didn't deserve that kind of reception.

As it turned out though, her cheer wasn't just about her.

"That's excellent news Steven! Me and your Dad are talking about an incident that occurred earlier today. We actually need your help, it's a tough case that's needs to be solved and all of Interpol's top agents are out of the region right now besides you and Cynthia." She stated, cheer still interwoven in her new-found seriousness.

Well, great.  _Fantastic_. Looks like I'd just gained yet another problem without even asking for one. Naturally the only reason people bother calling is because they needed me. I didn't begrudge it normally of course, in fact I enjoyed helping, especially where it involved Dad. But a certain contest wraith had it's scythe of blackmail scraping the edge of my throat. Sure I had time to help, just under three months actually, but that didn't make it any less annoying that I'd been roped into something else. A mission from Interpol no less too.

I sighed reluctantly, knowing this was a problem I couldn't just ignore. Especially considering this problem involved Roxanne, Dad, all the police I had seen earlier and even Interpol itself. This was something I'd definitely have to look into first before locating Cassie's wayward son.

"So I take it you want me to head over to Devon-Corp offices right now then?" I stated, trying my hardest to keep my irritation hidden.

"Yes please! Oh, and Steven; welcome back. We should catch up after your Dad briefs you on everything that's happened." She replied happily, oblivious to my troubles.

"Yeah. We should." I began, a small, near in-audible sigh escaping my lips. "Anyway, I'll see you both soon."

With that, I clicked 'end call' on the stupid thing. I ran my hands through my hair and leaned against the wall side of the gym. One thing after another, my life just couldn't stay simple, there always had to be something new to deal with.

_But there's no use complaining is there Steven?_

No, there wasn't. Things had to get done and they certainly weren't going to do themselves. If I started complaining now, I'd only waste even more precious time. The fact of the matter was simple; Roxanne and Dad needed me and I had to help, irregardless of my current mission. Since neither of them knew about it, I couldn't blame them for asking me.

The one bright side to all of this was that Roxanne possessed the information I was looking for. If she could confirm that her previous two challengers of today involved one certain red-eyed beanie wearing trainer then I had a sure fire way of finding him at any point. Since any Gym challenge would register in the league data-base the minute it was issued, there was no real way for him to hide from me once I knew his Trainer ID number. Or rather, the false number he was currently masquerading under. Obviously, it might not turn out so simple, and knowing this information didn't really prevent the fact that I'd just been roped into doing a mission for both Dad and Interpol. Whining wouldn't get me anywhere fast on either front though, I'd simply have to deal with it and face the problem head-on like always.

Which is  _exactly_  what I intended to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader, hope you had fun this chapter. Personally I had fun writing it, but lets cover some details shall we?
> 
> You'll notice I have deliberately kept the secret of what the Pokemon is inside the ball Wally's grandpa gave to him, I'll be revealing that at a later date. It's not a terribly important detail, but for now the character interaction and Wally's inquisitiveness was a little more important a topic to cover. Either way though, I tried hard to reach a natural balance for the conversation they had without over-doing Brendan's reaction to questions about family and I'm pretty happy with what I achieved. Of course, there's no way for me to tell how you guys will receive it, so if the dialogue seemed off, or any of the interaction throughout did, then let me know!
> 
> Anywho, we see more of Steven here, and this time I made sure to cover more of his sympathetic aspect. He may be the current antagonist, but he is just as much a human being (and nerd) as the rest of the cast. I didn't want to detract from his stubborn portrayal though (I characterise Steven as a sharp-witted and mindful person, but one who is pretty adamant once he get's an idea in his head). If you're wondering why it was Roxanne and not Steven's dad who called, then don't worry, I'll answer that pretty promptly next chapter.
> 
> Still, this chapter wasn't as big as the last one, but that's ok, because my next fluff-fest chapter is due on the horizon (though not quite yet). Plus our dorks will be battling another Gym leader soon, so there is plenty on the horizon. That may sound bad due to Steven's ability to track official gym challenges, but believe me when I say Steven might have his hands a little full for a short amount of time...
> 
> Also, shout out to SidekickPommy again for their awesome support and encouragement. I'd also like to thank each and every one of my readers for their continued support as well, knowing that people enjoy reading this story really stokes the creative flame (so to speak) and I'm very thankful for it all!
> 
> Anywho, it's about time I bow out until next week and get some much needed rest. Cheers again for reading, wherever and whoever you are! Have a great week everyone and I'll see you around for the next chapter!


	13. The Black Contessa's decree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! I'm feeling so much better since last week, consequently my writing muse is back in full force and not being dulled by the sickness blues. As a result I'm happy to say I have surprise on the horizon for you all, though given that it's something I'm trying to be perfect in doing, I can't release it with this chapter specifically. So expect a little... bonus on the next release. Anywho, I come baring yet another release; with this chapter we see another important character being introduced.
> 
> Though I won't spoil anything, I'll just talk about it in the end notes. Theres a bit more shipping moments in this release, some minor fluff and a bit humor; ala a characters sarcastic wit.
> 
> Still, I'm gonna leave my usual spiel about how reviews help me improve (because they really do, feed back is important to me) and that you can find guest reviews in the end chapter notes.

I arrived; though my irritation wasn't visible to anyone on the way here, nor would it ever be, I was quite annoyed. My search had been interrupted, just as I was on the cusp of yet another breakthrough. The interruption was justified of course, I was summoned by my father and seemingly at the behest of an Interpol mission. But that didn't mean I had to like it.

Of course, when Roxanne mentioned Cynthia's name, I hadn't actually expected to meet her in Dad's board room.

Well, meet wasn't the word for it.

The room itself was spacious; floor adorned with red carpet and the walls a mild brown. Unlike many a boardroom today, it was quite... Homely, if you could call it that. To the left of me were the windows that showed a view of the courtyard below; or it would, if the place wasn't crawling with police. To the right? Cynthia, or rather, the TV screen upon which I saw her visage; still as hauntingly calm and collected as ever.

Beside the screen with her face planted on it was my father. Age had treated the man kindly, he was wearing his standard brown business suit, not a single wrinkle in either his face or clothes. Though his hair had long since gone grey, that only added to his air of charm really; at the very least he looked the part of a strong father.

He had been busy chatting with both Roxanne and Cynthia as I entered the room, though that died moments after my arrival.

"Ah! Steven my boy! Come over here would you?" My father asked with a smile.

Age hadn't dulled his smile either, for a brief second I'd forgotten this was serious business and not a family reunion of sorts. Too bad seconds were a short measure of time. It had taken less than a few of those to meet Roxanne and my father at edge of the room. What had my curiosity however, was Cynthia's part in all this. Hell, everything had my curiosity at this point, I still had no clue what was going on at all.

"So, glad you could make it Steven, but we have a rather big problem on our hands." Roxanne stated calmly, but with a small sense of worry.

It would seem Roxanne had the best initiative of all three.

"And what sort of problem might that be exactly?" I questioned, still annoyed about being pulled here, but now genuinely intrigued.

"Well..." She began.

"They've taken everything Steven." Was the finished sentence, courtesy of my old man.

Just what in the hell was that supposed to mean? The building was intact as far as I could see, and Dad's stone collection was untouched; even the cash registers at the tour shop on ground floor were undisturbed according to the police.

_What in Arceus' name had we lost?_

"Define 'everything' Dad." I told him bluntly.

"They took your research lad; your research  _and_  my new submarine plans." He answered, concern now marring his expression and removing the smile.

_Wait, What?!_

"You can't possibly mean they took my mega-evolution research?!" I shouted in disbelief.

"I'm afraid I do. They took it all my boy; my staff worked long hours for that sub contract, and it's gone. Given the nature of how they took everything, it's fair to say it's a targeted attack. Our thieves knew exactly what they wanted and where to get it. Or at least, that's what Cynthia has told us."

"What the  _fuck_." Was all I could muster, until another, more important question reared it's head. " **So just who in the hell is 'they' then?! Who did this dad?!** "

I raised my voice well beyond what I should have, but this was fucking unbelievable. Years worth of my research, thousands upon thousands of hours studying the nature of mega-evolution; from the energy it gave off in the process to the catalyst factors required to trigger it. All of it, stolen.  _Gone._

"You should know better than to lose your cool Steven, and the answer to that is simple. If you'd be so kind as to calm down and let me give my mission brief then you'll find out." Came an icy reply from the screen in front of me.

Cynthia wasn't the most wordy person unless she was telling stories, but she knew how to command respect without the need to speak. It's true that I was a champion too and therefore on equal standing with her in the worlds eyes, but that wasn't always fact. Cynthia held a higher rank in Interpol and while it wasn't immediately observable in battle to the untrained eye, she was slightly better than me. Yet, it wasn't her strength in battle, nor her stature in her career that caused my pause. I didn't regard either as defining attributes; no what had stopped me was, once again, her attitude.

Cynthia wasn't called 'The black Contessa of Sinnoh' for nothing. She was a warm individual when not working and indulging in her hobbies. On the job though? Her stare could freeze a room solid; a no-nonsense attitude like hers while at work only made her a terrifying champion to face. She was not someone I wanted to piss of at any rate. Still, I was perplexed as to why she would even be here to begin with. Sure she was an agent, but there was only one incident, the result of which had my personal effects involved. If anyone was to run this case it was clearly me. So why was Cynthia broadcasting to us?

"Fine. But do you mind telling me what you're doing in  _my_ region to begin with; didn't you have that whole 'Galactic' fiasco to deal with?" I asked, not daring enough to raise my voice, but daring enough to ask what the hell she was doing here anyway.

"That's also a simple one. That incident is done, I dusted that under the rug months ago. I'm here on a holiday by the way, I came here to study Hoenn's rich history and mythos. Or at least that's what I  _originally_  came here to do." She stated with distaste.

"So what stopped you then?"

"I was getting to that before you lost your composure." She began, looking directly at me with a gaze that could pierce steel. "You see, when I got here Steven, I came across a little problem in a town I was visiting for it's tourist attraction; lava cookies."

"What exactly do lava cookies have to do with me  _losing all my research_.?" I asked, still very much annoyed.

"Gee, maybe you'd find out if you just keep talking." She stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I discovered an empty base of operations Steven. I visited lava ridge town for it's cookies and yet somehow, what I found instead was unlisted, abandoned property. The story involves a Spoink, some cans of soda and rabid Zubat. But since I know you don't care for needless detail, I cut right to my point. This 'building' was the basis for an environmentalist group and it was located directly underneath Mt Chimney."

"Again,  _What does any of this have to do with my research being_ _ **gone**_ _?_ " I stressed the gone this time, not really willing to take any more of this farce.

Cynthia was notorious for telling tall tales that all happened to be true, but I failed to see how any of this in the slightest was related to my mega-evolutionary studies being taken, or Dad's sub plans for that matter.

"Sweet Arceus, no wonder your region's such a pinnacle of success." She began, lacing her response with dry sarcasm yet again. "You've no time to listen to anybody do you?" She asked in annoyance, but with a smirk that dug a little under my nerves.

She couldn't possibly know how right she was, I had no time to be lounging about listening to silly stories about soda cans and over-hyped eco-activist hives. Not knowing that of course meant that she was going to continue though.

"Well fine, have it your way. Roxanne can fill you in on all the lovely details later and I'll just give you your briefing. As I am currently investigating an eco-terrorist group calling themselves 'Team Magma', you will do the other half of the work and gather information on the second splinter group that stole from Devon-Corp offices this evening. They are called 'Team Aqua' in case you weren't aware, and I'll have all the necessary case files transferred to your champion login when I can."

"So we know who they are then?"

_Finally, some good news._

"We have a hunch on who they are yes. We can't say for certain yet but the evidence at this point suggests that Team Aqua are indeed involved; personally though, I'm more worried what they have in mind for your research." She said, tapping her chin in thought.

She had a good point. Mega-evolution wasn't dangerous on it's own, but the process had a lot of nuances and even the act itself gave off an immense amount of energy. More energy than regular evolution in fact, which is why it was a frightening prospect. If it was indeed the people Cynthia was insinuating that stole my research, and they  _knew_  before hand what said research entailed, then I could only speculate what ridiculous purpose they could have in mind. But it  _was_  for a purpose; if the information I had been presented with was to be believed, these people didn't steal it just because it was there.

They stole it either for want, or need; possibly even both.

That's not to forget the matter of the submarine plans either. Really though, who steals Meg-Evo research papers and sub blueprints? Whoever these eco-terrorists were, they were quite... specific. Of course, one thing was for certain.

This was a  _ **much**_  bigger problem than Cassie's assignment.

I had to catch that brat, I really did. However, the safety of both my hard work and the region was now at stake.

_Fucking slay me now._

I groaned inwardly, not daring to show my frustration on the outside; the next person I battle was going to be in for a world of hurt, because they were now just stress relief. Nothing but more damned problems. If Interpol assigned Cynthia to this mission on her vacation days, as well as myself being recruited, then I could only guess that this was more serious than I originally thought. I'd have to look over the case files later, no doub-

"Anyway Steven, I have work to do. I'll send all the relevant locational details about Team Aqua with their case file, and when you get that information I want you start your investigation  _immediately_. I'd very much like to get back to my vacation after all. Regardless, you know how to contact me; Cynthia out."

The screen went blank.

The black Contessa was gone, but the tension she brought to the room hadn't departed. Perhaps that was just my livid anger at losing both my research and Dad losing the plans for his next big contract deal. To think these people had the fucking audacity to steal from the Hoenn champion's father; whoever they were, I was going to find them and make sure they stayed in the cold slammer for a  _very, very_ long time.

But before that, I had one small piece of information I needed to grab, so I could put it in my back pocket for a later date.

"Roxanne, before I get my other Pokemon and start hunting for these people, could I ask you a question or two?" I inquired with a crooked brow and soft smile; clearly I couldn't hide my irritation all that well.

"U-uhhh, sure, is it about the case?" She responded, seemingly not used to seeing such a weird expression.

"No actually, I just wanted to talk to you about a gym battle you had recently."

Her face lit up immediately after hearing that.

"Ohhhhh! So you do wanna catch up for a bit before you run off this time eh? And here I was thinking you were just going to vanish like last time." She stated, grabbing my arm and forcibly pulling me toward the door.

"H-hey! That's not what I m-!"

"I know just the place to get coffee in this town even at this time of night, you'll love it. Besides, you have time before Cynthia gets her files together, might as well spend it with friends right?" She interjected, dragging me through the office doorway and toward the stairs.

I groaned with yet more frustration, but if there was one thing Roxanne had over everyone else, it was her stubborn personality. I wasn't likely to get out of this, and I needed her to give me information anyway; fighting her would get me nowhere fast or even any closer to my now  _two_  current goals.

My only recourse was, once again, to grin and bear my current situation.

* * *

The boat ride here took forever, or so it seemed. If I had been able to fly I would have gotten here in much less time, but unfortunately my errant tongue had gotten me into yet another troublesome situation. Until such a time as I returned Wally to his family later on, I was now his full time watcher. If anything happened to him, I was pretty sure his mother would rip out my still-beating heart and then stomp it into the ground in front of me. So I was stuck in an unfavourable situation speed wise.

But that didn't mean I that I hated Wally. To contrary, I actually quite enjoyed his company. He wasn't overly talkative nor negative when he did decide to speak; ever joyful and full of silent resolve. It wasn't his fault that I had been stupid enough to open my mouth at the wrong time either; I wasn't about to blame him for my own mistake. But that didn't make it easier to swallow the fact that I now had to go at the pace of a Slowpoke.

I just wanted to blitz the gyms as quickly as possible, I knew I had the ability to do it and all the know how along with it. Reaching the league was seemingly an easy task from where I stood, the only problem was actually getting there in a timely fashion.

Exactly why I decided to challenge the next gym right away. Well, after a proper nights sleep; Rustboro and the hijinks therein had me exhausted.

The bed itself was soft and comfy; perfect for a night's reprieve. Said reprieve, despite my ardent attempts and the mentioned bed, was no where near as comfy. It wasn't horrible by any standard, but for a five star bed that I'd paid a decent amount of money on, it didn't hit the spot I wished for. Perhaps it was the movement of the ship during the night that made it so difficult. Whatever the case though, I woke up tired.

My eyes were bleary, even with repeated wiping at the eyelids. Despite this visual impairment, I squinted and made out the faint outline of my room. Nothing had readily changed from last night, save the big green blur sitting atop a similarly blobby and brownish blur.

At first my fluttering eyelashes struggled to remove the remnants of sleep from my eyes, but eventually after thirty seconds of barely justifiable effort to sate my curiosity, I cleared them enough to actually  _see_  what; or in this case  _who_  I was looking at. It was at this point that my ears started working again and I could hear the quiet echo's of joyous laughter. It's source was a familiar green-haired wonder.

Just what it was he happened to be laughing over wasn't clear until I shifted a little in my sheets; carefully so as to not make a sound and disturb him. He was playing with something purple that was bouncing between him and the dresser beside him, though I couldn't discern anything about the object in question because Wally was blocking my line of sight; initially anyway.

After a second or two, the light and airy object bounced high enough for it to come into my view. It was rotund, light purple and had what looked to be a cloud above it, yet still attached. Though it took a second, I registered that what I was now looking at happened to be a Pokemon. A happy Drifloon no less. The Pokemon in question had no actual mouth, but I could tell from it's eyes that it was happy. But where had it come from? Wally didn't have one from memory and I certainly didn't own one either. Which begged the next logical question.

_Who owned it?_

"Who's is that Wally?" I blurted out.

The chartreuse-haired boy turned his head and moved his sitting position to face my interruption. He was smiling; warm, gentle and full of life. Apparently he was in a very good mood, which I was secretly happy for. I'd been quite... Blunt. Blunt the other day about my family life and the queries he had for it. I hadn't seen much of him after that since I basically just grabbed dinner from the on-deck restaurant and dropped into my bed afterward.

I was asleep before he came back to sleep himself, so I felt a small tinge of guilt.

In fairness, I was quite tired from swimming and therefore went to bed early, but Wally had gone to rest and woken up after me the whole time we'd been travelling. Yet now, here he was; awake and refreshed, playing with a Drifloon.

"She's mine of course!" Came a cheery reply, breaking my from my contemplation.

"Yours? But were did..." I began, scratching my head.

For the briefest of moments I couldn't imagine where, and Wally was about to tell me; but I clicked before that happened.

"Wait, is that the one that was in the ball your grandpa gave you? The one with a starry sky painted onto it?"

"Yeah!" He answered with a smile that could melt even the coldest of ice type Pokemon. "Her name is Anastasia." He stated softly, almost cooing the name while signalling the Pokemon to return from the ceiling.

I just started chuckling.

Which earned me a frown as the Drifloon;  _aptly_  named Anastasia, descended softly into Wally's lap while enthusiastically crying out 'floooooooooooooooon' in the process. Wally just turned his gaze back after giving me said frown, right back to the now resting Pokemon, which apparently was giving a ghost-types approximation of a purr. It seemed content at any rate and it also brought Wally's warm smile back as he petted the soft looking Pokemon.

The boy turned his head again after a few moments while I started stretching off my drowsiness.

"You know Ruby, you look a little different today." He said, head titled with curiosity.

_Different?_

"Huh? How do you figure?" I asked in surprise.

"I can't put my finger on it really..." He began, tapping his chin in thought. "... But something seems...  _off_."

He looked puzzled; Wally clearly didn't understand it just as much as I. I didn't feel like I looked any different, I mean, I wore my beanie to bed and then-

_Oh. **Oh no**._

The contacts. I had taken the contacts out and my natural brown colour was what caused this line of questioning. This was bad, he hadn't noticed what was wrong yet, but if he did, I was in deep trouble. Explaining why my eyes were a different colour would be a troublesome topic; a topic I had no intention of dealing with. Thinking fast; I didn't bother to grab my shirt or clothes and got out of bed immediately.

"I need to go to the toilet. See you in a minute." I said hastily, running off and into the en-suite room.

Normally I wouldn't vocalise, I'd just go, but I panicked. It would be problematic for Wally to find out who I really was. So problematic that I had to put a stop to it before it began, and the easiest way to do that was to run to the bathroom and put those stupid things back in.

I cursed at myself for slipping up. I'd have to make certain that it would never happen again.

* * *

Ruby was acting pretty odd today. The first time he got out of bed and ran for the toilet, except he told me outright on this occasion as if it wasn't obvious to begin with. Plus, he looked kinda different than usual. While he was still in bed there was just something so... out of place. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me, but the Ruby that emerged from that bathroom looked like he normally did despite nothing actually changing; at least anything I could see anyway. Then there was the fact that he seemed panicked for a short amount of time, which by itself was uncharacteristic of him and completely weird.

It was driving me mad; there was definitely  _something_  that changed for a short time.

Of perhaps a greater concern was the fact that something else had been missing from this burgeoning afternoon. Ruby was in a greater rush than usual; he didn't even bother to grab food before we got off the ship. Normal routine was that Ruby had time for food pretty much whenever; he never rushed this much before.

I couldn't really understand why, but that didn't matter in this case because the target of his fast-paced power walk was the gym and not the store. Ruby had promised to make me a dessert, and though I didn't want to sound bratty about it, I was really looking forward to that. Ruby's cooking was the best I'd ever tasted, but I had yet to experience any of his desserts. Being that I loved candy, sugar and anything that was even remotely sweet, it was a fair bet that I would love his planned dessert. But it seemed that plan had veered of course a little so I decided to ask what was up; even if it did come off as slightly childish, I just had a genuine like for whatever he could make.

"Ummm, Ruby, weren't you gonna make us food before we fight the next gym?" I asked innocently as we walked toward the building in the centre of town.

"I really wanna battle now. But when we're done I'm going to make the most amazing dessert I can, I promise." He said back, a smile making it's way onto his features.

Well, I didn't want a delay, but Ruby was the cook and I couldn't rush him. To add to that, having something really tasty after a gym battle sounded pretty nice. So nice in fact I just let the issue drop; not that it was even an issue to begin.

Either way, our destination was the same. Today me and Ruby would battle the second gym, it was just going to happen a lot sooner than I expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! welcome to the end notes where discuss plot-relevant details!
> 
> For this chapter you will see we now have Cynthia as part of the cast. Her role won't be as major as the team leaders or Steven, but she is important. And someone has to keep our champion humble. Also I have the headcannon that she comes up with bizzare 'noodle incident' stories, where she has every clue what the story is, but nobody else does. I felt it was funny and added more dimension to her character than just straight up "Serious at work. Not serious everywhere else" So I really hope you guys enjoyed that (if you didn't please, please, please let me know. Feedback helps me to know if I'm entertaining my audience).
> 
> Also, you probably know by now that I'm not keeping in line with Wally's canon team. I feel like I can bring greater diversity to his team and how everything in the future plays out if I'm more free with the types of Pokemon he has. That said, that will be his last new Pokemon for a little while, because he has to focus on his current team members first naturally. Still, the drifloon helped promote the light hearted fluff of this scene and I just really love how it plays out. If you guys like it or don't, again, let me know!
> 
> All that aside, here we see Wally almost catching Brendan out in the act. Almost. Brendan was pretty panicked there eh? We'll have to see if he keeps his self-promise (though technically I already know if he does or not :P). Also, you know that fluff scene is almost due when the dessert is after the gym battle, so we will see how that goes a few chapters from now.
> 
> Oh, and I showed Wally being a little childish, because he may be innocent, but he's not a perfect human being in every regard. People have their flaws, even if they small or barely noticeable.
> 
> Also, I'll take the time to shout out to my friend SidekickPommy (again) for their continued support and help. Also, they wanted to say they were 'first' so there's that (whatever that may mean).
> 
> Anyway, I hope you had fun this chapter, but believe me, next chapter is gonna be fricken fantastic, and I have a bonus lined up in the works for you guys too. So stay tuned and watch this space readers, because I have big things coming up. For now though, I'll take my leave for a week and I'll see you all for the next release!


	14. Recommended prescription: Chill pills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there peeps! I'm back with a brand new chapter, this time a more humorous and less serious chapter than the last (for the reader anyway). I also have an awesome gift for all of you! While I was writing this week's chapter, I also wrote the first half to a highschool AU LoveRival two shot story. Yup, that's right, I do in fact have a present for you all, which if we count the respective word totals, means I have released 10K words worth of content for you guys to read this week!
> 
> So yeah, the two shot is called "Formalities and other such trivialities" And if you'd like to read it, you can find it on my profile page under my stories tab! Alternatively you can just search the name, but whatever works!
> 
> Either way, feedback on this chapter (or the bonus story) would be greatly appreciated, if I've done something wrong or right then let me know. Feedback of any kind helps me to improve my writing and the story itself, and it let's me know if you guys are enjoying the story as it goes along, so don't be shy! Plus, it's really nice to hear from my readers too!
> 
> Anyway, guest review replies at the bottom in the end notes, and I hope you enjoy this weeks (double) release!

I woke up with a groan, to match the buzzing sound in the air.

Well, 'Woke up' is such a loaded phrase here; I prefer 'risen from the dead'. I'd slept in, as is normal for me, but I still had that useless sleepy feeling one has when they haven't had enough rest. This was possibly due to the amount of time I'd actually spent awake chatting with Roxanne last night. I didn't plan on doing anything more than information gathering, but my plans, as well intentioned as they were, had a bad habit of not really working out lately. The stalwart gymleader of Rustboro had taken the opportunity to catch up on pretty much every topic she'd missed talking to me about.

Which is something I could not fault her for; if I was being entirely fair, I hadn't visited as often as I said I would. Also being entirely fair, I was a champion with duties to attend to, and as of a year ago, I now also had a relationship to maintain. A relationship I couldn't make public for good reasons, but a relationship none the less.

I was just a busy man.

Yet, that restless existence is exactly the reason I'd been out so late. Not content with coffee, Roxanne took me out to what used to be my favourite restaurant in all of Hoenn. Apparently, it still was my favourite even now; I'd been caught in a trap comprised of good food and even better company, and for once I managed to forget the spectres that were haunting me as of late. Twisting shades and shadows of both personal and occupational nature.

When I first became the champion I was bright-eyed; my whole future was with Pokemon and my team, happiness was all I had when it came to the idea of being champion of a region. Enjoyment had slowly wormed it's way out, but I knew it wasn't the job, it was the stress I'd been dealing with. The stress of hiding my sexuality from everyone I knew, save one man. Combine that with the pressure I had to perform as a champion, as the leader of my region. A region that was unforgiving to people such as myself, and my mood sunk quicker than a Geodude to the bottom of a lake.

It haunted every conversation that had to deal with my relationship status. Something the media, my father and even Roxanne were all very interested in. I couldn't blame them of course, I was a public figure, but the attention and the spotlight was what caused the issue to begin with. Then along came Cassandra, and with that foul demon of a woman even more stress followed.

She found out; caught me and my boyfriend in an innocent kiss. By all means, she had intruded on us, the problem lied with her; Hoenn's view of the world wouldn't care for that though. We weren't people according to them after all; degenerates, filth, scum. Cassandra used every name she could when she confronted me with her evidence, knowing full well that I was powerless to do anything.

Blackmail. Nothing but plain blackmail.

If ever she needed the champions help, I had to give it. The consequence for defiance was the ruination of my public image; the punishment for my apparently grand crime would be my fall from champion status to pervert. A fact she reminded me of frequently.

I'd been given task after task, and it was wearing me down. My only solace was the person who kept me sane in all of this, but even they would be hard-pressed to relieve me of the strain of everything I now had to deal with. My stolen research and apparent eco-terrorism sects forming under my nose only added to the long list of problems plaguing my days.

So then, I presumed it would be forgiveable if, for a few small hours, I simply relaxed. True, my intention had been to talk to Roxanne for five minutes at best, but I'd gotten so fucking sick of running after everyone else that having a moment with a friend sounded like the next best thing after heaven. So yes, I, the great Steven Stone, had a moment of weakness. I wasted five good hours of time and stayed up till the early hours of the morning talking. Not doing missions, not finding some useless child and certainly not giving a shit. Just eating and talking and laughing.

_But I'm likely to be punished all the same for my hubris._

When I said 'risen from the dead', I meant it; it was 3PM and my Pokenav was beeping like mad. Causing reality to pull at my consciousness with it's cruel, mercilessly sharp claws. It was a call, but thankfully it wasn't Cassandra. Not that I could breathe a sigh of relief for that because the person ruining my sleep this time was Cynthia. Slave driver that she was, she probably expected me to have reached my specified destination I'd gotten from the case files.

I clicked answer anyway, as much as I wanted to just ignore it.

"Steven Stone." A chilly tone met my ears.

Oh joy, cold as a fucking Regice and sharper than the blades of a Bisharp.

"Hello Cynthia." Was my overly tired reply, she probably caught the yawn on the end of it too.

"You should be at the destination I specified by now, though from the sounds of things you slept in."

Honestly, she was both annoying  _and_  predictable.

"No Cynthia, I'm not there, I have quite literally been sleeping all day." I told her, irritation only  _just_  slipping into my tone.

" _Oh for the love of Arceus,_  Steven, you could be at Lilycove and digging for information on Team Aqua right now! Aren't you the champion who's always harping on about getting things done?"

That last question wasn't even one, it was her way of slapping me verbally over the phone.

"Look, not all of us can function without sleep like you can Cynthia."

Eye for an eye...

"Steven, you have a fucking  _job_  to be doing." ... Makes the whole world blind. "At least tell me you've read over the case files?!" She asked incredulously.

For once, I might actually be able to answer yes. Though I'd done it reluctantly, I had in fact read those documents. Because Cynthia penned them, most of the information regarding the hideout was just her overly descriptive and ridiculous brand of story telling. Though in saying that; despite the Spoink episode, some of the details about said hideout were actually quite relevant. Cynthia was nothing if not meticulous and she'd managed to gather a lot of information already.

"Yes I have."

I answered as I mulled over the file content in my head. According to her information, Team Aqua and Magma were once one in the same, until their split off due to a disagreement in views over how to change the environment around them for the better. Sadly, like all splinter groups, they were now extremists; extremists who had robbed me, and who were about to get what they deserved. I should really be surprised how much Cynthia had gathered on the subject, as well as how fast, but I knew her too well at this point. She just did not fuck around on the job.  _Ever._  She'd garnered this much intel in the space of two weeks, and only now told me about it because I had become immediately relevant.

That was another thing too, she didn't trust me to do anything right.

"Oh great, so you have done  _something_  at least. Whatever the case, hurry up and investigate that lead in Lilycove, I want to wrap this up as quickly as possible Steven. If you keep leaving things lying about like this, the lead will dry up; for all we know Team Aqua could have fled the place by now."

_Case in point._

"They are a large organisation by themselves if your information is correct, they can't be  _that_  quick. Anyway, never mind, I'm going now, so you can stop worrying."

"Good. Call me if you have new developments." Came the curt reply.

_Click._

She hung up.

Would it be wrong of me to silently say the word 'bitch' to my phone when the call dropped? If it was, then it was a crying shame, because:  _I did exactly that_.

Still, I was awake now and all the regret in the world wouldn't fix my problems. In order to avoid Cynthia's wrath I had to get going right the hell now. So with a great difficulty and just a touch of justifiable anger, I threw off my bed sheets, then got up and walked sleepily to the hotel rooms wardrobe where I left my clothes.

In no less that ten minutes I was checked out and on Athena's back once more, headed straight for Lilycove. Though the journey would take me most of the day getting there, I wanted to wrap this lead up as soon as I could. Getting rid of this problem sooner meant being able to find that brat in time.

_Cynthia's attitude be damned, I will get the job done._

* * *

I suppose the first indication that I had entered crazy town was when I walked into the Dewford gym to find that it was an  _actual_  gym. Either someone was going for the pun of the century, or me and Wally were in the wrong place, because right now I couldn't see any arena to battle on. For as far as my eyes could perceive, all that could be seen was the multitudes of weight and exercise machines. The building itself had the typical gym architecture out front, complete with signage, and yet  _someone_ thought it would be funny to make a joke out of it.

Wally didn't quite notice the terrible taste in humour at work here, which was fine, I was close to leaving anyway. I had things to do, gyms to conquer, there was no time to be wasted on someone else's terrible idea of a joke. Clearly I had missed the real gym by a block or two, but still; just who would think this woul-

"Sup broheim, you a challenger or are you here for some exercise?" Came an upbeat question from my left.

I turned to face the source of the query; to find yet more equipment in the distance and a blue-haired man sporting near neon orange sunglasses (indoors, really?). Upon closer inspection I could see said person was also wearing a simple black exercise shirt, blue shorts and... Shoes that looked like feet?

_What?_

"C-challenger? You mean this is  _actually_  the pokemon gym?" I replied incredulously.

I honestly thought this was some cruel joke, but apparently I was wrong.

"O'course dude, what else could this place be?" The blue-haired man responded with yet more cheer.

"Well, it's just that...  _Where's the arena?_ "

It was a good question, this whole place was nothing but four walls and weight machines; it was no place for a proper battle.

"Oh, the arena is below us little man. But since you asked, that means you are a challenger."

"I am yes, and so is my friend here." I pointed to Wally on my right before continuing. "Could you please inform the leader we are here to challenge them?" I told the strange man.

I didn't even know if he was part of the gym staff, but seeing as he was the one to speak to us and ask questions like that, he must be. Especially if he knew the location of the arena we were going to battle in. However, if everyone in this gym was as weird as he was, it begged the question what the leader was lik-

"You're speakin' to em; Name's Brawly, I'm the leader of Dewford gym and if it's a challenge you want brohan, I'm more than happy to help." Brawly said with a smile.

_No way._

This wacky guy was the leader? He didn't even look the part; from memory this was a fighting type gym, and so I was expecting the musclely and serious kind of person. Especially with the scenery around us being what it was, he just didn't fit the mental image I had of him in my head. Then again, I suppose expectation didn't quite matter right now. With the leader being in front of me, I could take the challenge immediately, which worked quite well with my plan to speed up the pace.

"Excellent, would you mind if we began the challenge?"

Before responding with words he looked at me like I'd said something unexpected.

"What, you mean you wanna to fight right now? That's pretty hasty of you dude, wouldn't it be better to take a day or something to prepare?"

He had a point. Yet the point was marginal in importance, there'd be plenty of time for practice  _after_  winning, and I'd rather not waste time.

"Yeah, but I wanna get this out of the way."

He just looked at me for a second with what appeared to be an incredulous smirk; once he was done with his lopsided grin, he began to chuckle lightly. It was almost as if he knew something I didn't, but whatever it was, it wasn't going to stop me in the least. The next gym badge would soon be mine, it was just a matter of defeating this eccentric leader.

"Fine, Fine. If that's what you want bresef, follow me."

He gestured to us as he turned and began walking to door way on the far end of the gym. I couldn't wait to get this whole thing over and done with, but there was one particular question that was burning in my mind right now in the wake of all this new information.

_Just how many fucking variations of the word 'bro' does one man need exactly?!_

* * *

The new challengers were really... odd. One of them was a shy green-haired dude who didn't seem to have confidence at a glance; he was physically reserved and didn't speak more than once. With that one time being only for the formal 'Hi, I'll battle after my friend'. That's me paraphrasing o'course, the little man was lot shyer than that, but all the same really.

That Ruby kid though; woah man, talk about cocky. I mean, I expect people fresh off their first win from Roxanne to be confident, but this self-assured? It bordered on arrogance, except he wasn't ignoring me, at least as far as I knew anyway. Still, for someone to come in here and to be so inpatient...

I didn't really know what to make of it; especially since he only wanted to battle with one Pokemon. One vs One wasn't unheard of, but by the second challenge people usually had at least one more Pokemon to work with. For being confident, I would have thought he'd want to use more. Then again, I guess it didn't really matter.

I decided the best way to learn about this curious challenger would be on the field of battle, so I lead the both of them to the stairwell door, before taking them down the three flights of stairs to the arena itself. The looks on their faces when we got the arena though, you'd think they'd never seen a field so big before.

Well, it did span the entire scope of the gym above in size, except it had enough airspace to allow even flying Pokemon to move around freely. Spotlights from on high illuminated the glossy stone floor below; the pride of Dewford, or at least I thought so. Not prideful enough apparently, because the red-eyed kid called Ruby didn't spend very long in awe of the place like his friend did.

He insisted on starting the battle as soon as possible, didn't even take the time to understand the location he had to fight me in. His emphasis on speed was just so... counter-productive. I told him before I registered his challenge that he should take a chill pill and just mellow out a little, but he looked at me like I'd said something insane and then he walked off to his end of the arena.

Well, if he was gonna act like speed was important, I guessed that it was a good thing he was fighting me. Me and Hariyama weren't the best battling duo around, but if this dude needed a lesson in patience, we were probably the best team to give it to him.

When he pulled out his Pokeball I was expecting a somewhat decent Pokemon, but a Flygon. Not only was it symbolic of this trainers attitude, but it was a strong looking Pokemon by itself.

_Maybe today's lesson will be a bit more painful than I thought._

"Yo brahmin, you sure you just want a one set match?" I asked, just in case he wanted to change before the battle began.

"Nope!" He yelled in reply.

_That settles that then._

I pulled out my own Pokeball, the minimised one I keep in my short's pocket. Bringing it up to level, I clicked the safety mechanism to arm it and then hurled it forward. After a brief flash of light, my partner Hariyama appeared. Not the most energetic of Pokemon in terms of the fighting type category, but it had endurance and raw power. However it's most endearing quality was it's patience; combined with it's hearty constitution, my Hariyama's speciality was turning defence into an offence.

"Harrriiiiyaaamaah." My Pokemon's cry echoed out across the arena.

Yes, Hariyama's style revolved around re-directing the opponents force rather than using it's own. This Ruby kid had better be careful if he planned on winning.

"Bruh, ready to start this thing?"

This was it, the challenge would start proper and my blood was beginning to boil with excitement.

"I was ready the moment I walked in the door Brawly, so let's get this under way!" Came the resolute reply. "Flitter, let's  _give them a show_ "

The Flygon immediately sped off, it's speed was amazing while in flight, I almost couldn't track it's movements. Still, an implied command huh? So he was at least experienced, which meant the confidence wasn't  _completely_  unfounded. Which also meant that this battle would be hella fun at least.

With that said, the Flygon called 'Flitter' reached my Hariyama from across the vastness of the arena within seconds. Yet, I didn't have to give a command to my Poke-bro, he knew how to deal with wing-attacks, even sneaky ones like this.

This fact became evident to my opponent almost as quick.

_Whoosh._

My opponents frustrated face was all the confirmation I needed. Hariyama dodged the hit...

Or so I thought.

My Pokemon clutched at it's leg lightly, signalling that it had taken at least a graze worth of damage; thankfully Hariyama was tough enough to deal with that easily. But this Ruby kid wasn't a fan of taking his time, milliseconds after attacking he issued his next command.

"Flitter, dragon claw!" He shouted.

His Pokemon responded immediately and swiped wildly at my Pokemon, striking it's left shoulder with significant force. But I couldn't lose my cool, not yet.

" _Brave the weather Hari!_ " I shouted to my Pokemon, knowing that it would understand what I meant.

To be fair, even before giving an order, Hariyama was doing a good job of deflecting the subsequent slashes after the first, but Flygon was still in it's face. Until I gave my input of course; Hariyama knew what to do, it would continue deflecting attacks, not stepping out of it's defensive stance until just the right moment...

_There._

The Flygon had put too much effort into that slash and left itself open, now was our chance!

" **Hariyama, force palm now!** "

It didn't need to be told twice; after deflecting that wild slash, Hariyama used it's signature attack and struck the now open chest of my challenger's Flygon.

_**Bang.** _

The force of the attack was enough to not only send Flygon hurtling backwards onto the floor twenty metres away, but it also caused a mini sonic boom as well. Hariyama wasn't fast when it came to moving it's whole body, but it's arm's were capable of reaching the speed of sound for short thrusts.

O'course, that sound wasn't what caused my now smug and satisfied smile, it was instead the less than smug and satisfied look my challenger was giving me. Earlier when his Pokemon held the initiative he had the biggest grin on his face. Now though? No traces of that smile was left, he'd finally realised I wasn't some push over.

Though from the looks of things, that hadn't dented the dude's confidence in the least, if anything it made him look even  _more_ determined.  _Exactly_  the kind of attitude I wanted to see, though I couldn't lose myself to the fun of the battle. Gym leaders had to keep level heads; when in an official match enjoyment is secondary to winning.

Fortunately, I now had the advantage. That force palm struck hard enough to inflict near paralysis on his Pokemon, evident by how much effort it was putting into just flapping it's wings and the jerky way in which it was holding it's damaged belly.

_Good._

"F-Flygon! Are you ok?!"

Ohohoho, so not as confident as his face would suggest?

Regardless, the Pokemon looked back at him and nodded shakily. Easing his concerned expression slightly, but only just.

"Ok, if you can, go show him what you got!"

Well he regained his spirit pretty quickly, but he still seemed unnerved anyway. Dude was incapable of being calm and patient, which was really hurting his chances at winning right now. Without even ascertaining the level of damage and concocting a plan, he'd sent Flygon at me. Sure he might be the type to come up with plans on his feet, but with his Pokemon being injured that could only be considered reckless.

Speaking of; his Pokemon's speed had worsened considerably thanks to my previous attack, so charging me right now would only lead to fai-

_A feint attack._

"Hariya!-"

But it was too late, my Pokemon fell for the feint, trying to block an attack that wasn't one; leaving itself wide open.

" **Flygon, NOW!** "

The dragon hit it's mark; assaulting my Hariyama with it's claws and slashing once more at Hari's stomach. My Poke-bro managed to swat my challenger's Flygon back about ten metres, but not before it's wild hacking left a gash on Hariyama's stomach. It didn't cause bleeding, Hari's protective layers of fat would make sure it didn't, but I knew it had hurt.

Ruby being the most inpatient dude alive, he didn't give me a moment to think up a command.

"Flygon, it's time we show this guy some  _parlour tricks_."

Yet, due to the paralysis Flygon couldn't move at even half it's original speed. So I wouldn't even need time to make a big plan; given this straightforward movement, he was likely going to flank

Hariyama. But at that pace, the move was more than counterable, never mind readable.

The moment arrived in a mere two seconds, but I anticipated it perfectly; I was ready. As Flygon flew past my Poke-bro, I issued the game winner.

"Hari!  _Give him a spin!_ " I shouted in triumph.

On cue, Hariyama grasped Flygon's left wing and swung one hundred and eighty degrees on it's heel;  _redirecting the force from Flygon's momentum straight into the floor._

_**CRACK.** _

The Pokemon struck the floor with the combined power of Hariyama's swing and it's speed.

_But it wasn't over. Yet._

"Hariyama! Finish it!" This time I couldn't hide my happiness behind my veil of calm.

_This battle is mine._

In response, my bro-kemon kicked the now near unconscious Flygon forward a few feet. It's groaning sounds were evident, but it was still trying to get up, so the battle was entirely in effect. Which meant this next move would be both legal, and the last move of the match.

Without missing a beat, Hariyama crouched, tensing the powerful muscles in it's legs and jumped. Leaping straight toward the near helpless Pokemon.

" **FLYGON, DODGE NOW!** " My challenger screamed at the top of his lungs.

But it was too late, far to late.

_**Boom.** _

Hariyama executed it's body slam  _perfectly_. Inflicting faint level damage with our final move of the match, ensuring victory. Our challengers shocked, almost agonized expression was worth all the pain he had put Hari through. I still planned on giving Hariyama a feast later for putting up with it though, I mean, despite his flaws, that crazy dude a solid battler. If he wasn't so hasty, he might have been able to see what I was doing and win the match outright. Details like that tend to whiz past you if you go to fast, which in this case was the fatal flaw at work.

My challenger should have known I was using a passive style; his experience suggested it at least, yet he lacked the virtue that is patience. Oh well, he'd learn in time, because now he  _had_  to have at least a day of preparation before confronting me again. Forced lessons weren't generally nice to put up with o'course, but he needed it if I was being honest.

He looked deflated beyond what I thought possible; he was so full of life and haste earlier, now he looked like someone had just slapped him across the face. Sure he was deserving of it a little if I was being entirely fair, yet it didn't make it any less depressing.

I decided it was best to go see him after recalling Hariyama, I didn't want to leave the dude moping like that after all.

* * *

_I lost._

Somehow, despite all my knowledge and skill in battle, I lost. Lost to someone who, for most of the battle, didn't even seem like an active participant. I made all the moves, I had the initiative,  _Yet I still lost_. Anger was the perfect word for how I felt right now, because losing meant having to wait an extra fucking day.

To make matters worse, Brawly was headed this way with the most passive look on his face. Sweet Arceus that annoyed the crap out of me, if it was a smirk I'd at least understand, but he appeared like that battle didn't even happen. Which frustrated me beyond belief; did he think I was just not worth the emotional effort?

The look didn't change; even when he arrived he still appeared the same. Passive, only a light smile gracing his face, the kind he'd been giving all day.

"Hey brah, you did well and I see a lot of promise in you, but I think you need to slow down a little when you battle."

_Who gave him the right to be smug enough to tell me what to do?_

"I'm not your 'brah' and my battle style is fine thanks, I'll prov-"

"Look." Brawly interjected with a frown. "I know you have a lot of pride and everything, but I don't hafta give you any advice you know. I could just not bother talking to you at all."

I gave him an incredulous look, I didn't really believe the whole 'trying to help' routine.

"I'm being serious dude, the only reason you lost that battle is because you were going way to fast to observe how I battled. Don't get me wrong, self confidence is great in a fight  _broseidon_ , but you can't ignore your opponents plan either."

I was torn between two emotions. Extreme regret for being a dick, and unfathomable rage because I was referred to as 'broseidon'. Thankfully, the regret was more dominant, though I still didn't entirely agree with him, he did have a point. Brawly didn't have to give me any advice at all and I was just throwing it back in his face.

"... Sorry. I just got... Frustrated." I said apologetically.

"Hey dude, it's alright, I understand. Besides, you can give me another good run next challenge yeah?" He asked me with a smile.

"Yeah..." I answered, downcast that I pretty much had to wait now.

"Heeeeeyyyyyyyyyy!" Came a third voice, a light, yet loud voice that I instantly recognised as Wally.

I turned to face my approaching companion to find he was pretty much already upon us both. When he got here I saw the sad look on his face, evidently, I wasn't the only person to be bummed out by the loss.

"Y-you ok Ruby?" He questioned with a hint of sadness.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

That honestly didn't sound convincing, but then Brawly seemingly noticed and decided to change the subject for me.

"Hey little man, aren't you up next?"

Wally was kinda surprised to be directly addressed, but he answered all the same.

"H-Huh? Umm... Y-Yeah, I am." He said nervously.

Wouldn't be a typical Wally response if he didn't twiddle his thumbs while talking. A habit which he was indulging in right now.

"Awesome, how many Pokemon you wanna use dude?" Brawly asked with enthusiasm, his cheer returning from earlier.

"Uhhhh... Is two ok?"

_Two?!_

Wally didn't think Wurmple was ready for battle did he? We hadn't trained it any yet, which is the reason I also didn't bother using Din for the match just passed. Drifloon was the only other Pokemon he had and sure, it might have come from his grandpa, but it didn't seem overly trained either. That's to say nothing of the fact that Wally had no experience battling without his psychic link.

_What is he thinking?!_

"Yeah, two's alright man, just give me an hour to get Hariyama healed up and then we'll battle ok?"

Wally just nodded at the blue-haired gym leader, who upon receiving his answer, told us to wait in the spectator area while he patched up his Pokemon.

Which would give me  _plenty_ of time to ask Wally what his intentions were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo readers! Welcome to the end notes.
> 
> In this week's notes we will discuss both Steven and Cynthia's work relationship as well as Brendan's cocky attitude/battling style/general demeanour and of course the gym leader of this segment: Brawly.
> 
> Steven here is shown to be deliberately human, not only to advance plot by showing how he spent his time after being briefed (as well as detailing case file information for Aqua/Magma). But also to show him as a sympathetic character. Steven might be the main antag for our hero's right now, but he is also a human being with feelings and needs like everyone else. It is my intention to show this humanity so that when it finally comes time for him and our protags to clash, my audience is actually cheering for both of them. I have thematic and plot specific reasons for doing this, plus good characters are multi-dimensional and not flat.
> 
> Speaking of multi-dimensional, Cynthia acts as the balance to Steven's apparent strength and also the foil to highlight his character as far as his occupation (battle wise, his contrast with our protags, especially Brendan, serves better). But this isn't her only purpose, she will get development too, don't worry, she isn't always a demanding hard-ass (though it is incredibly funny).
> 
> Now we get too Brendan. He's was already confident enough as it was before his win against Roxanne, but that win has really pushed his ego up a bit far. Also, he's a very very hasty person and one of the key lessons he needs to learn is patience, pragmatic patience for battles. Yes he can think on his feet, but as we see here, being reckless all the time, even with high level wit and cunning, isn't always enough. Another lesson he will need to learn is knowing when to go on the offensive and when to switch to defence, since right now all he does is force openings through offence. Not a bad strategy, but he will need more to win later battles; though Brawly's purpose here is to just teach patience (a lesson that will sink in over the course of the next few chapters).
> 
> Which brings me to the other source of humour in this chapter! Brawly is a cool character, and I tried to make his internal monologue sound different since he isn't as overtly verbose as Brendan or acutely aware like Wally is and I really hope that came through in the writing (if it didn't let me know!). I also used a LOT of variations of the word 'Bro' for the sake of humour and to accentuate the surfer image Brawly has, though if I went overboard with the humour send in a review and let me know, I don't think I was too big on it, but better to be sure about it.
> 
> I'll also extend my thanks to SidekickPommy who really, really helped in the final draft stages of this weeks two releases, with their assistance I am able to bring each release up to a higher standard.
> 
> Anywho, with that long spiel of words out of the way, I thank all of my readers for their continued support and I hope you all enjoyed this weeks chapter (and bonus!). Either way though, have a wonderful day and I'll see you all next week!


	15. Defender's advantage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! This one was almost late, but I managed to get it out in time. My life has just been so busy lately, friends and work life have contributed much to that. But I still got this chapter done on time for the weekly release! Before I get to that though, I'd like to say that obviously I won't be updating the two-shot this week for the above stated reasons. Don't worry, I have every intention of finishing it (I have all the plot ready to go for it actually), I just didn't have the time this week.
> 
> Either way, I have an action-y chapter for you all. I'm not really sure if I like the flow of battle in this one, despite it being bigger than Roxanne vs Wally (only because there's two pokemon involved). I mean, it was entirely necessary because I have to highlight a few things about Wally in this chapter and I did try my hardest to make the action interesting from a reading standpoint. That said though, I'm still unsure, so any feed back you could give me at all about it would be greatly appreciated. Whether it's a review or a pm or an ask on my tumblr doesn't really matter, I really value your feedback because it helps me to improve my writing for the future and by extension write a better fic all round for everyone to enjoy.
> 
> Anyway, I'll give my usual "guest reviews and chapter development notes are at the bottom" line and then let you jump straight into it, have fun readers!

"Wally, are you really going to use two?"

Came a question from my side while I sat on the spectator's bench, absent mindedly twirling the Pokeballs in the left pocket of my Cardigan. I didn't need to turn my head to see who it was, there was only one other person in this arena besides me and that was Ruby.

"Yeah."

I was too caught in my thoughts to really respond properly or even look his way. My battle with Brawly edged closer by the minute and it was doing a number on my nerves. Actual battles were a new thing for me, even with the advantage of a psychic link, I'd only recently started on my journey. By all accounts, I was new; Ruby though? Not by a long shot. It was clear that even if he hadn't battled much before now, he was at least experienced in working with Pokemon. Ruby's Flygon understood vague commands and was quite strong to begin with, plus it moved better than my Gallade had ever been able to do speed wise. Flitter's and it's trainer were both good at battling, better than me at least.

Which was  _e_ _xactly_  why this next match had me so nervous. If Brawly could beat Ruby, then my chances of winning dropped through the floor, or rather, they seemed to. Watching the previous fight had only made me anxious, and now I was desperately trying to brainstorm ways I could win agai-

"Wally!" A shout from Ruby; the volume snapped me back to reality. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh? W-what do you mean? Were you talking?" I asked, cheeks lightly flushing out of embarrassment.

"Sort of, I was trying to ask you something and you weren't answering. Are you ok? you seem spaced out..."

He said it with some concern, though if anything it should be the other way around. Ruby had just lost a battle and he still appeared tense and slightly mad, but apparently not mad enough to ignore me. Which made me wonder what it was he'd asked me while I was away in lala land.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, what was it you wanted to know Ruby?" I questioned, this time giving him my full attention.

"Well, I'd like to know how you plan to battle with two Pokemon when you've never had experience giving verbal commands before, I mean, I know you're going to use Drifloon but..." He trailed off, pondering how to continue for a second. "... I'm all for you not relying on Gallade Wally, but how do you plan on fighting Brawly with an untrained Drifloon?"

Ruby had a good point. I'd only recently been introduced to my newest Pokemon since she was a gift from grandpa, so naturally I'd spent no real amount of time practising any kind of battle routine with her. Hell, I hadn't even learned the depth's of Anastasia's skill set all that much either. Yet despite that, I wanted to try; to show Ruby the amount of experience I had battling I would have to demonstrate a battle where he could actually understand the commands I gave my Pokemon.

_I secretly wanted to see what Anastasia could do too._

"I ummm... Well you see..." I twiddled my thumbs as I contemplated how to put things. "I wanna see what I can do without using the psychic link, but I don't really have... w-well, a p-plan."

I said that knowing full well Ruby wouldn't be happy about it, but it was my decision either way.

"Wally, that guy is... I hate to say it, but he's really good. Incredibly weird and possibly crazy, but he's still great at battling. He gave Flitter a really hard time of things..." Ruby looked at the floor briefly, a despondent air lingering about him faintly as he continued. "It's going to be  _really_  hard to win Wally, you  _need_  a plan. Fighting him with a Pokemon you haven't even trained yet is a silly idea!"

Ruby wasn't wrong, it was a fairly terrible idea. That said, I wasn't wrong either though, such decisions were mine to make. Even if I did lose or Anastasia fainted, there would be nothing to gain from relying on Forsythe all the time. To understand the true difference in skill between me and a regular trainer I had to step out of my comfort zone and battle like everyone else did, it just so happened that I was going to do so in the middle of a gym challenge.

"M-Maybe..." I answered finally. "B-But I'm going to do it anyways." I told him firmly.

My travelling companion looked at me like I'd gone mildly insane. Perhaps to him I was being a bit of brat even, however, this was something I felt I needed to test. Of course, being resolute in my actions didn't equate to confidence all that often. I was still on edge regardless, which could be seen clearly by anyone paying attention to what I thought was obvious fidgeting. Though I was consciously trying to make it less clear, I didn't think I was doing it all that well.

"You don't seem very sure of yourself." He said with concern.

_Arceus dammit._

So it was still painfully obvious. Oh well, it didn't matter in the end, I'd be battling a gym leader before an hour's time was up; nervous or not, it had to be done.

"I am, don't worry."

The answer was dismissive, mostly because all my focus was on the battle ahead of me. Out of unease, I returned to my pensive fidgeting of the Pokeball in my pocket while I waited for Brawly to come back.

_This one's gonna be tough._

* * *

This afternoon had proven interesting so far; my first challenger was inept at being patient, but he had at least proven his strength. Given this information, I was definitely keen to see how his friend would fight me. The little dude in question didn't seem like the battling type though; if I was being honest anyway. He looked really nervous at first glance which may be due to our scheduled battle, but from my understanding he had already fought Roxanne. Keeping this in mind, Wally should have at least been able to look me in the eye for longer than a few milliseconds.

In the end I came to the simple conclusion that it was just how he was, though I did wonder how his Pokemon took confidence in him if he himself didn't have any. Even now, with both of us facing each other across the vast space of my underground arena, the little man wasn't meeting my stare for more than the barest of seconds.

"You ready brofessor?" I called out from my end tentatively, still trying to assess his character.

True to form, he responded in his usual fashion, stuttering and all.

"Y-yeah, I'm good to go..."

The boy looked at his feet, seemingly clinging to the tiny Pokeball in his hand. For all of three seconds I was beginning to think that maybe I would have to kick the battle off myself, however, after this brief pause, the kid finally looked me in the eye.

"Anastasia!" He shouted, throwing the ball toward the arena floor in front of us both.

Though there was some distance the flash of light was still enough to make me flinch a tiny bit; a Drifloon becoming visible right after the blinding light-show.

_A ghost type huh?_

Interesting, fighting type and normal moves wouldn't be help me here; to add to that though, it was an un-evolved Pokemon and my challenger appeared inexperienced to say the least. Considering this, it wouldn't have been very sporting (nor any fun) to use a fully evolved Pokemon of my own, plus I did happen to have a stage one Pokemon that could deal with ghost types anyways. So, in the spirit of competition and my own amusement I pulled out a Pokeball from my short's pocket and armed it.

"Meditite, surfs up!" I shouted, tossing the ball forward.

On cue, Medi-Bruh popped out from the confines of the Pokeball, looking as full of life as ever. Despite not being fully evolved, this particular Meditite of mine was a solid fighter, and in this case he was my answer for the ghost-type. Fighting-type moves might be ineffective, but psychic type moves sure wouldn't be, even if they were of a physical nature.

I glanced at my challenger, expecting him to be like his friend and issue the first move. Which might explain why I was so perplexed to see Drifloon idly floating about on it's end of the arena, apparently oblivious to the fact that this was a fight. It's trainer seemed embarrassed by it too; maybe it just didn't like listening to it's master? But if that was the case I would have heard a command being issued. Either the little dude was a complete novice, or he was trying to psych me out.

Whatever the case, I'd been kind enough to see if he'd kick off the fight, but if he wasn't going too, then I was. Still, opening with a zen head-butt would be foolish for a first move, better to lead in with a non-fighting type punch first.

"Meditite, let's start off by giving it a fire punch!" I shouted, slightly spooking my challenger.

Just like that, Meditite shot off like a rocket, running at a break neck pace as it's right fist began to glow faintly; bursting into full flame once it was within a few feet of our opponent. Despite this glaringly obvious attack, Drifloon had yet to notice. At least, until my challenger finally spoke up that is.

"A-A-Anastasia! D-dodge it!" Was his urgent yet shaky cry.

As if to contradict the point of the warning, the Drifloon turned to face it's master;  _exposing it's back to me_.

 _Come on Meditite, show 'em what you've got_.

My Meditite had reached jumping distance, and on cue crouched down and then jumped upward, straight into airspace occupied by the carefree Pokemon. Wally shouted at the Pokemon called Anastasia again, still in an anxious way but now with greater volume; sadly it was far to late.

_**Bam.** _

The vicious strike connected with Drifloon's back, filled with enough force to send it flying backward through the air. Though I could barely see detail from here, it appeared that the punch left a visible burn on the poor thing. Not that I got a good enough look to assess the damage properly of course; Drifloon had since stopped moving through the air and turned it's now anger-filled face toward my Meditite, just as he landed back onto the arena floor.

"A-Ana! Are you ok?!"

This time he sounded panicked. Personally I couldn't believe such a novice with poorly trained Pokemon had beaten Roxanne, it was almost too crazy to believe that someone of this calibre had any badges at all. To lose one's cool in battle is one thing, but to have your Pokemon act in such a manner, or even be unable to properly command them to begin with, it was entirely ridiculous.

Still, there wasn't really time to dwell on his ineptitude right now, there was a battle to be won. Even if it appeared easy, I couldn't let my guard down; complacency would only lead me to defeat. That said, his Drifloon looked like it hated my Meditite, at least with the glare it was giving.

 _Maybe a bait tactic would be good idea here_.

"Meditite, use meditate!" I called out to my Pokemon.

On command, my Poke-bro assumed it's meditative stance; a position it would normally undertake for it's endurance training, but the use was quite different for this battle. The plan was simple: have Meditite use meditate to sharpen it's focus in order to make the next move a sure-win, but also use it to instigate a rage-fuelled attack from the Drifloon. I predicted that any such attack wouldn't be sanctioned by it's trainer and therefore would be an easy pick up for Meditite's detect move; after that it was just a matter of dodging the detected move and letting lose a meditate-empowered Zen head-butt.

While I made this prediction, I didn't actually expect it to play out  _exactly_  as I thought it would go. Planning on my feet was necessary, but not in this case; Drifloon took great offence to the previous move it seemed. Without yet having the leave from it's trainer, it began gathering black energy around itself as it hurtled towards my meditating Pokemon with frightening speed.

_Note to self, this Pokemon is quick._

In less than a three seconds, the ghost-type entered my Meditite's effective range; likely expecting to catch it off guard. While it didn't notice the ploy, Wally seemed to have already suspected something, since the boy had been shouting the entire time to get Drifloon's attention. Unfortunately, that didn't matter, the silly thing had taken the bait and my bro-kemon would finish this fight in style.

" **Meditite! Detect!** " I yelled before the impact.

The idea was to make use of the meditative focus to stop an attack and then retaliate; I had trained with my Pokemon enough for it to know this, even if it didn't know implied commands like Hari did.

And, as if by clockwork, Meditite carried out my planned manoeuvre with perfect cadence. The Drifloon was already burned so even with it being so fast, it had still become just that extra bit slower, which meant the detect went off without a hitch. Speedy it may have been, but the flying purple Pokemon missed it's mark; wooshed right past my Pokemon who had detected the attack perfectly, causing the Drifloon to once again have it's back to my Meditite. It's move (which I assumed was payback) cancelled out when the Drifloon realised it's mistake.

But for the second time this battle, it's reactions had been too late, even with the now sporadically wild shouting of my challenger between coughs and splutters.

" **ZEN HEADBUTT** " Came my triumphant shout.

The command and move was simple, yet at this distance; in the split-second of the Drifloon's in-ability to to see the attack, it was a perfect choice. Given it's earlier meditation, Meditite wouldn't need charge up time to make it a game ender, and like all my other predictions this battle;  _I was right_.

_**THWAK.** _

Without missing a beat, Meditite had swiftly jumped and struck it's target before said target could pivot around to face it. Even before seeing the Drifloon float softly to the floor I knew I had won; seeing it slightly deflate on the rocky surface of the arena only proved the knowledge I already held.

_Round one is mine._

Meditite looked over to me and gave me an approximation of a thumbs up, I understood it's cheer and success, even if I did also know the pain of defeat my poor challenger was feeling right now. Still, it was hard to really take pity on his crestfallen and clearly upset face. He'd brought this on himself; that Pokemon had no real battle experience from what I could tell and neither did he. The little dude only ever reacted to my commands, he never really issued an offensive order himself; it was almost like he didn't know what to say to his Pokemon.

I found it strange, he'd already beaten the previous leader. Yet here he was, giving me the kind of performance I would expect from a novice. At this point I just couldn't expect anything good to come from this battle; Wally's second Pokemon was likely also un-evolved and just as uncoordinated. This prediction; should it be true like all my other's this battle, basically meant that the second round would be just as easy. Which also meant that I didn't have to recall Medi-bro; in fact, there would be little reason to swap in Hariyama at all.

My challenger recalled his Pokemon with a sad expression, not the kind you'd get from someone who'd been defeated mind you. No it was the kind given for regret, or so I assumed. Apparently he felt guilty for bringing that Pokemon out, which did baffle me a little, but his reasons were irrelevant. I wanted to have a good fight and he probably wasn't go give one.

Musing on all the Pokemon he could bring out, I supposed he put the ghost-type first to blitz my team, but with that gone what real hope coul-

_Bonk._

His Pokeball struck the arena floor a lot louder than the last time he threw one; combined with the oddly fluorescent green light show his Pokeball gave off, my thoughts were interrupted. Not that it mattered, his Pokemon wasn't going to be spec-

_Holy sweet Arceus._

A Gallade.

 _**A Gallade** _ **.**

He had a fully evolved team member after all?! And what a team member it was; just looking at it I could tell it was much better than the Drifloon from earlier. Which was a good sign indeed, staring at this new challenge only made my heart race. The flames of battle had been stoked in my gut, re-igniting the passion I was beginning to lose for this challenge.

Of course, it didn't mean it would end in the kid's favour. If the little dude couldn't command it effectively, it wouldn't really matter how strong that thing seemed. Still, the itch to have a good fight returned and I wasn't going to ignore it.

"Yo broski! You ready to start the second round?" I called out to him, Meditite still on his side of the field.

I expected the typical answer; the shaky kind of 'yes' complete with a stutter and a cough afterwards.

What I got was downright creepy.

Like something had snapped, my challengers expression went from a forlorn regret to steeled will almost instantaneously. The moment that Gallade was released from it's ball Wally's personality did a complete one-eighty turn. It was unearthly, like some weird amalgam of bravery, determination and cocky... anger? I didn't know what to make of it as far as appearance went, but what really got me was his reply.

No 'uh huh', no coughing, not even a stutter. Just a stone cold 'yes' that didn't have the usual soft ring I'd been hearing in his voice, accompanied by a quick nod. It was incredibly unnerving, but I couldn't let him play with my head; gym leaders had to stay cool under pressure!

"Meditite, go for another fire pun-"

I couldn't finish my command in time. In my haste to confirm the battle's start, I'd forgotten how close to Wally's end of the field Meditite had gotten; so close in fact that it was within walking distance of his Gallade.

In the blink of an eye, the formidable looking Pokemon teleported, placing it  _right behind Meditite_. I didn't have the time to warn Medi-brah, it was too far gone at that point. The sound of the slash rung out, dancing in my ears like a foul taunt.

_Shink._

It wasn't loud; the psycho-cut wasn't fully charged, but it connected and with great force. Enough to send Meditite careening out of the arena and into the wall behind my challenger, who didn't even flinch as my Pokemon flew right past him. My poor Meditite hit the back wall with a thud and in seconds after the dust cleared it became immediately visible.

_Meditite had been knocked out in a single hit._

It had been some time since I'd last stared at a challenger with nothing but awe; equal parts fear and respect. For, without uttering a single command, his Gallade had one-shot Meditite in nor more than a measly few seconds. I almost lost my balance from the shock; this was such a far cry from the kid I was facing earlier, hell, was I even fighting the same person anymore?!

From obvious novice to seeming prodigy with just one attack; I'd made the mistake of underestimating him even when I tried so hard earlier not too.

I gulped.

Nervous as I was though, one thing was clear. This battle was about to get a whole lot more interesting. Though I still felt a small tinge of amazement, it was slowly being replaced by my new-found respect for this boy.

 _Perhaps I'd get a good match after all_.

Without even missing a beat, I recalled my poor Meditite and pulled up my next Pokeball. This time I made sure the ball landed closer to my edge of the arena; the last thing I needed was to start close to that monster of a Pokemon again. With a dull thud and a momentary spark of white light, my next team member emerged.

"Hariiiyaaaammmmaaaaaaaaaaa." Came it's cry.

_Good, even Hari's psyched to fight that thing._

"So little man, how about we try round two a second time?" I asked, confidence returning.

Again with that same damned unnerving steely-eyed expression. He just stared at me, and it felt like his eyes could bore through solid stone. That said, intimidating me would take more than some useless look, if this challenger wanted any more respect he'd have to fight for it.

"Fine, have it your way! Hariyama,  _brave the storm!_ " I shouted out to the bulky Pokemon on my side of the arena floor.

Hari knew the drill with this one, we'd let him make the first move while we slowly covered ground. I needed to understand this kid's attack patterns; so far all I knew was the Gallade could teleport in battle and use psycho cut. In fairness, this was still valuable information. Teleport placed a heavy energy drain on psychic types, especially a physically minded one like a Gallade. Moving any more than a few metres would require immense amounts of energy due to the exponential cost verses distance travelled; ignoring this cost would effectively leave the user quite vulnerable in battle. Given this fact, Wally couldn't have his Pokemon pull fancy flanking manoeuvres at this range unless he wanted to lose the fight outright to a counter attack. So in theory, me and Hari were safe until that beast approached us.

Speaking of which, said beast began to move. In line with my prediction, it didn't teleport and instead began running towards my Pokemon's side of the field.

_Moving in for the teleport flank, or something else?_

There was no way to tell, but for now I could assume it was the same move. I was still highly confused as to how this Pokemon was acting without a verbal command, but in my experience psychic types were shifty little bastards. It was possible this kid was using the same technique Steven liked to use, which would explain the wordlessness. Though I didn't know the specifics of the ability itself, so it would be hard to tell if that were the case or not. Disregarding that though, even if I couldn't hear him, his actions would speak loud enough; even silence can be heard after all.

The fearsome Gallade drew closer as I mulled over my potential plans, dashing across the arena with haste. My Hariyama only steadily covering ground; walking forward while maintaining it's defensive stance. The first block would rely on the prediction that this trainer attacks head on, I didn't like leaving things chance but without any other information to work with it was all I had. Either way, Hari could take a non-charged psycho cut or two, so I wasn't worried. As long as the necessary information presented itself everything would work out fine.

The moment arrived as Gallade came within running strike distance; on cue, the Pokemon disappeared.

_Another teleport, which means it's a flank!_

"Hari, turn and block!" I shouted hastily.

I knew I'd be late since the Gallade was already about to swing down from its position  _behind_ Hariyama. It had arrived quickly, but at least I had some warning; though to be fair that warning was just guess work. Still, Hariyama responded, not quick enough to stop the attack cold but just quick enough to block the body blow with one of it's massive palms. Hariyama's fat would protect it from such a strike, but even I could see the deep cut that attack had inflicted. I wouldn't even be surprised if that started bleeding at some point.

Even for a non-charged attack, that was massive damage to inflict, even more reason for me to be glad that Hariyama had blocked in time. Better than that though, Hari knew how to battle effectively even without me. One such lesson it had learned was to keep the physical attackers at a distance so I could assess movement; exactly why Hari pushed out it's other palm in a standard thrust. Not the kind to cause damage, just something to push our opponent a couple metres back, and boy did it achieve that.

Though it had been flung backwards, the Gallade managed to flip mid-air and recover it's earlier poise.

_This one is a skilled fighter._

It's fighting style was direct and telegraphed, but as far as personal ability went this Gallade was top notch. Possibly even elite four material if it improved it's technique enough. Still, I couldn't waste time dwelling on it's potential; what was important now was putting together the information I had.

Hari had sustained damage to it's left palm, enough to cause a mild bleed. On the other hand, this Gallade kept using flanking manoeuvres, it seemingly preferred to attack head on, only to teleport and strike the back. So far this technique had been repeated twice, which meant it wasn't likely to be the next move. That'd be too easy to predict, too easy to out play.

Not that I was given time to muse on the alternative.

**Bang.**

A sharp crescent shaped ring of dark energy swung out from Gallade as it shifted it's blade arm upward in a slashing motion. It had launched a night-slash, striking Hariyama square on it's front. I  _would_  have been more panicked if the attack was actually an effective typed move to use against my fighting-type, but that wasn't the case, which meant this move had another purpose.

_Distraction._

The action itself had caused a mild explosion, enough to to leave a faint dust cloud around it's intended target.

_So he's gonna try and take vision away is he?_

A brave move, but Hariyama was no ordinary Pokemon and there were definitely more senses at it's disposal than just sight. As if to prove my prediction however, Gallade dashed forward just a tiny bit, informing me of it's intention to teleport.

"Hariyama,  _the stream is flowing backwards!_ " I yelled just before the thing teleported into the small cloud of dust.

I looked over at my challenger and grinned, noting how this was the first time since Gallade's appearance he had appeared to feel any emotion other than determination. Though it was faint, I could make out the confusion on his brow, and it only fuelled my glee.

Hariyama had been struck once already, telling it the source was going to come from behind the second time meant all I had to do was rely on Hari using his other senses properly to deflect the blow. Sure enough, Gallade was thrown out of the dust cloud just as it began to settle, likely by another pushing arm thrust; leaving the Pokemon at running distance yet again.

When I finally got a look at my Pokemon I could see it hadn't suffered any damage, which meant it had been able to sense Gallade's swing through the vibrations in the ground and the sound within the cloud. Meditite wasn't the  _only_  Pokemon on my roster capable of fully utilizing the senses of the body after all. Plus, due to the predictability of the strike it had been much easier to block the second time around, especially since I gave proper warning.

This information could only make me smile. The Gallade's strength was gargantuan, a body blow from an empowered psycho cut would leave Hari  _severely_  wounded. Even a non-charged one could leave behind a big mark, and at best Hariyama might be able to take five such cuts before fainting.

_But that power meant nothing if we could see it coming._

His second Pokemon was strong, and I couldn't even tell how he was commanding it, but Wally was still a novice. At this point I could pretty much predict the next attack with near-perfect accuracy. If my guess was correct, Wally's Gallade would try another flanking manoeuvre, hoping to have thrown me off with the spontaneity of it's last attack.

_Oh how on the money that guess was; it was almost comical._

Gallade began it's routine again, but this time it began charging it's blade for an all out attack. Clearly my opponent knew the danger of this battle going on any longer that a few moments at least. Once it had gathered the energy which now caused the air around it's left arm to ripple and warp, it dashed forward. I knew the timing window now though and so did my Poke-bro for this move; we would be prepared.

_Now's the time to counter-attack!_

"Hariyama,  _give him a spin!_ " I yelled to my Pokemon

Even before calling it out, I knew the result, but that didn't diminish my joy at seeing the scenario take it's course. On cue, Gallade teleported as I shouted out my command, allowing Hariyama to pivot on it's heel in time to face his attacker.

The Gallade swung with as much force as it could toward Hariyama's body, only for the edges of it's blades to be grabbed by  _both_  of Hari's palms. Without losing the momentum of Gallade's swing, Hari shifted it's weight onto it's left foot as it combined it's own pull with Gallade's downward thrust. The effect of this was both devastating and immediate.

_Gallade had been thrown face-first onto the floor; glowing blade wedged firmly into the stone._

But we couldn't stop there, leave it any longer than two seconds and we risked a teleport-powered escape.

" _ **HARI, FORCE PALM NOW!**_ " I screamed as fast as I could.

We'd been through this routine many times before however, I didn't need to say anything really; it was ceremony more than anything else.

Milliseconds after hitting the floor, Hariyama thrust it's giant right palm at maximum speed, crushing the Gallade between said palm and the floor. It didn't matter what move typing it was, a frail Pokemon like that wouldn't be able to withstand such force.

And what force it was, so much so it created a mini-crater in the arena's surface.

_The battle's won!_

The rush of victory surged through me and I wanted to cheer at the top of my lungs for having such a fun fight; but someone beat me to it. Except what I heard wasn't their cheers of joy or happiness. No, what I heard was the most blood-blood-curdling and anguished screech of pain to ever meet my ears. The cry slashed at my ear drums while I winced, trying to locate the source of the disturbance, finally settling my eyes on the green-haired boy on the other side of the arena.

I watched in sheer horror as he collapsed in a heap, shrieking in shrill agony all the while. After what was the longest few seconds of my life the screaming ceased, and even more horrifyingly unwelcome sound met my ears.

_The deafening noise of cold silence._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, I'm guessing that's not the ending you imagined huh? Before you kill me, I'd like to remind everyone that Wally only feels the pain, it's not actually real and he isn't in mortal danger, that is after all how the psychic link works. So no, he isn't dead, just so we are clear.
> 
> However
> 
> That doesn't mean his companions are believing of that or that Brawly knows that, said knowledge also won't stop the very hefty character development I have planned on the horizon. Character development which required this eventuality to effectuate. Brendan's reaction and Wally's learning from this particular event is very important and I felt it was a good way to proceed by having them both fail the gym battle so I could highlight their flaws as trainers and also set up the narrative for their first important lessons.
> 
> Wally's problem is predictability and frailty. Gallade is frail, taking any sort of damage is bad, especially from Pokemon with high power or Pokemon like Hariyama who turn Gallade's power into their own weapon. Given the psychic link's issue of shared pain, this is a huge glaring flaw. Sure gym leaders and normal trainers might be more inclined for mercy, but not everyone is so kind, knocking out Gallade mean's knocking out Wally, and if Wally is knocked out he can't battle any further at all, regardless of the Pokemon he has left. Which is also why his predictable battle style is a problem, there is a reason for Gallade and Wally relying on flanking teleports so much and it pertains to narrative I haven't given yet, but it exists. The issue is that if they maintain this style, educated leaders like Brawly who aren't fazed by the whole 'he doesn't even speak commands' thing can still fight them effectively despite that advantage.
> 
> On top of this, Wally lacks confidence without Gallade, as shown with Drifloon. To be fair he hadn't even properly practised with the balloon Pokemon yet, but the issue is still present.
> 
> This is quite literally contrasted with Brendan's flaws of "Gotta go fast!" (which gives him unpredictability) and having too much confidence in his abilities. It is my intention that these dorks learn from each other as well as the environment and other characters around them, thus providing more shipping material without over-shadowing their development as individuals nor the development of the plot.
> 
> Still, I can't entirely be sure I've hit the mark by just looking at everything myself, so if you feel I've missed or hit a point or two in my writing, or that I am characterising well (or not), please let me know!
> 
> Also as a side note, I tried to be less humorously frequent with the whole 'bro' thing this chapter, though I did throw it in to emphasise Brawly's character of course (Though I'm not sure if I represented his internal monologue properly, so please tell me if it seemed brawly-ish to you).
> 
> I'd also like to take the time to shout out to Trinity Emerald Mitsu on for their continued support for my fic as well as SidekickPommy again for bombarding with both head canons for the loverival ship and new games to play. Also, a quick shout out to Luenick who also provides amazing HC's and encouragement in general! You're all fricken awesome :3
> 
> Anywho, I'll stop rambling on here and wish all you lovelies the best till I return for next week's chapter. Stay safe and have a wonderful weekend everyone!


	16. Vulnerability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there peeps! I'm back, and this time with a fluffy as hell chapter for everyone. There has been a tonne of exposition and action lately, and a high focus on the antagonist too if I think about it. With that in mind, I decided to turn the 'subtly gay' dial up a bit for some nice ship fluff, though I did execute this fluff more through the characters actions than their words. Can't be subtle about anything if they outright know or say things, plus we aren't far in enough yet to be overt; doesn't mean I can't rot your teeth with the sweetness of my fluff-fests though!
> 
> So yeah, fluff ahoy! and more interaction between Brawly and Brendan for the lulz (serious lulz though).
> 
> With that out of the way, I'd like to say that I adore any feedback given, especially with this chapter in particular. Knowing I've hit the mark with characterisation or structure/flow really helps me to improve my writing ability which in turn helps improve the fic for everyone. Believe me, I don't bite, negative or positive criticism, I value your opinion as a reader.
> 
> Oh and I'm halfway done with my bonus two-shots last chapter, I'm hoping to have it ready by next week.
> 
> Anywho, guest reviews at the bottom and I hope you all have fun reading!
> 
> EDIT: I forgot to remove the brendan/ruby name swap habit that I keep falling into. It's terrible because nobody except steven or brendan is meant to know his real name right now. I have since corrected my mistake, my apologies to everyone for missing it.

_Dread._

The emotion coursed through me, partly because of the unearthly cry of pain I'd just heard, and also partly due to the fact that my challenger had just fallen into a heap at his own feet. That very same intense concern was what drove me to sprint down to his end of the arena; I swear, even in my exercise routines I had never sprinted so fast.

Before I had arrived at the little dude's side I'd basically suffered a panic attack, the way he screamed earlier made my toes curl up to their ends, and for a brief moment I thought I'd hit him. Of course, given the close combat involved and the distance between him and the battle itself it seemed impossible, but the screech of pain gnawed at my mind until I got there.

Upon coming close enough to evaluate any damage I saw a relieving sign; his chest was moving and he was breathing rhythmically, as far as first looks went he seemed healthy.

" _ **Just what in Arecus name were you fucking playing at?!**_ "

A snarl; abrupt and full of rage, it snapped me from my worry stricken thoughts immediately. I was still kneeling beside my poor challenger as it happened. Turning my head I was reminded that the kid had a friend; an  _incredibly_  angry looking friend right now.

"What?" I asked, still somewhat off-kilter from the suddenness of my predicament.

" **Look what you did asshole! He better be fucking breathing so help me Arce-** "

" _ **Calm down**_." I interrupted him.

The dude was losing his head, it was plain to see, and it was also detrimental. Wally was breathing and there was no immediate sign of injury. Perplexing still that he collapsed, but I wouldn't get to the bottom of this mystery with Ruby flying off the handle.

" _Look_." I began, pointing to the boy I was kneeling besides. "He's still breathing, there's nothing wrong. Now, if you could  _calm down_ , I'd like you tell me a few things." I told him sternly.

" **Don't think that just because he's breathing I'm going to let you off the fucking hook for doing that to him**."

_Of course he's not going to calm down._

I'd sigh, but his statements brought up an entirely new question. Originally I planned to ask if his friend had any medical conditions, but if I considered his declarations, what he said was intriguing to say the least. Apparently I'd done this, but I was no where near this kid and neither was Hariyama; just what exactly did he think I'd done?

Not that I was happy with the undue treatment I was given for it either way.

"And what the hell did I do dude? I didn't attack him bro, how could  _any_  of this be my fault?"

A (just) defensive statement, but also a question. I needed answers; whether or not Wally needed to be brought to an emergency room in the next few minutes depended on the information given. For all I knew this poor kid had a fucking heart condition, and Ruby losing his cool wasn't helping.

"W-Wait. You mean you don't know about the psychic link?" Was his shocked reply.

_Great, questions instead of answers._

Still, his attitude turned for saying that, whatever that meant didn't matter since it would be easier to ask him questions now.

"I know of it but not the specifics; so then I'm guessing this has something to do with it?"

According to his face, Ruby was still pissed off right now, just slightly less so than before.

"Yes, it fucking does! Wally links minds with his Pokemon and that means he feels ALL the pain his Pokemon feels. Which basically means  _you just fucking slammed him into floor_!"

Now I felt bad, because if the pain sharing was what happened I actually did do just that...

_Which explains the screams and the eventual collapse._

Thinking on it now, Steven did mention something like that in passing the first time I battled him, but I never asked him in depth how the whole thing worked. Regardless, if it was just pain and not actual harm then Wally wasn't in any real danger.

Though he may need a painkiller or twelve later considering the force of that last attack.

"If he just feels the pain then he's not in actual trouble is he?" I asked, just in case.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can just go and fucki-"

"I couldn't have known, and secondly, it was your friend's decision to battle me like that not mine.  _Or yours_."

Placing emphasis on that last bit was necessary; Ruby's concern was justified, but Wally seemed fine physically, which he confirmed himself by telling me the mechanics behind the psychic link. That, and it was the little dude's decision to fight this way to begin with.

"No but..." His gaze intensified, I could feel an almost intense hatred levelled at me with his eyes "... You  _did_  end up hurting him... I was so worried; the way he screeched in pain, it sounded like he died or something..." He said turning his gaze to Wally and the floor, yet still very much aggravated.

While I couldn't make out much of his expression, I could tell there was worry mixed in with all that anger. The earnest kind of worry too; the sort you'd find between close friend's or family. Though it stayed only briefly on his otherwise pissed-off expression, it was plain to see that he cared for this boy.

_Strong friendship eh?_

It made me feel slightly worse for having shut that concern down, but at least I knew my defeated challenger was alright. That still left the clean up to deal with though.

"Brah-khan, do you have a room in this city?"

"Huh, why do you need to know that?" He answered, annoyed with me for changing the subject apparently.

I'd have to defuse his anger somehow and the easiest route seemed to be humour.

"Because we need to take Wally back to it of course, you didn't plan on leaving him here did you?" I asked cheekily, yet keeping my smirk in check.

"Hu- No! Of course not!" He shouted, slightly more mad than before.

_Damn it. It's really not hard to spark this kid's fuse._

None the less, his irrational rage and my gym duties could wait until Wally was brought somewhere he could rest.

"Right, I'll carry him, but I need you to grab his Pokeball and recall his Gallade."

He gave me a quizzical expression like I'd said something interesting, but the realisation that painted his face after looking at the arena told me that he'd forgotten about his friend's pokemon entirely. I had to work to hide a laugh as he turned back to me, revealing a 'oops' kind of face. Still, I supposed it was better than him being angry at any rate.

"F-fine, just be careful, I don't want a repeat of what just happened..." He began, pulling the Pokeball up from where it lay besides Wally. "Forsythe, return!" He finished as Gallade disappeared in a flash of red light.

" _Forsythe_?" I asked while chuckling.

"Oh my Arecus, it's not the name I gave him ok?!"

_Still touchy huh?_

Just when I thought I'd gotten somewhere and reduced his temper. No better that I'd shot myself in the foot too; time to try again I guess.

"Calm down dude, I was just making a joke." I stated with a hesitant smile.

Only for him to shake his head at me; really, is this guy ever happy?

"Whatever... Oh, and Brawly..."

"Yeah?" I answered back.

" _ **Don't**_  drop him."

_Nope, he's never happy. Not at all._

* * *

_That stupid fucking gym leader!_

Wally suffered plenty thanks to him. Sure, he might not have known the specifics of the psychic link, but it still pissed me off anyway. Even I flinched when Hariyama crushed Forsythe into the floor; I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that Wally had felt. It just made me so mad. That said, such anger wasn't comparable to how enraged I felt when he did  _almost_  drop Wally on the way back to our hotel room. It was like Brawly was trying his utmost to fuck me off.

_And if that was the case he was **succeeding**._

Not to mention the fact that he kept questioning why I had to stop by the Pokemart on the way. Really, he should mind his own Arceus-damned business. Besides, it should have been plainly obvious that I needed to get some supplies; Wally needed rest, but he also needed food. I would make certain the green muffin-top would be supplied said food.

Not just any food either; for what happened today, Wally deserved the best I could give. Earlier promises dictated that I should have made a dessert, among other such things I  _should_  have done. Despite my anger at his mistreatment, I was also at fault. A fact I admitted to myself with gritted teeth and great hardship.

Had I slowed my pace; allowed time for practice  _like I promised,_ this eventuality might have been avoided. Though Brawly fucked me off big time, he did have a point. I wanted to achieve my goal quickly to be sure, but I could also stand to pace myself just a little, at least enough so that Wally could keep up. Because the last thing I wanted to happen to him was what occurred in his gym challenge today.

Exactly why I would attempt my most difficult dessert.

_Wally would wake up to a chocolate soufflé._

Not a single effort would be spared; no sooner had we arrived at our room and placed Wally on his bed did I tell Brawly to leave. I thanked him briefly, though not completely honest in said thanks, after which I brought out my ingredients from the bag and walked towards the kitchen.

While musing on Brawly's earlier hurt expression and smiling somewhat crookedly about it, I grouped all my ingredients for the soufflé on the counter. Cooking chocolate, eggs, butter and flour among the key ingredients, though there were more. That said, with the lay out of the parts for the sum creation complete, I moved on to baking preparation.

Firstly, I needed melted butter for the ramekins in order to prevent the soufflé sticking to said ramekins too much. It didn't take long to melt too, and once it was I lightly brushed the surface of my ramekins with the liquid. Even before adding the butter, the ceramic containers had a sheen to them, but adding the melted butter only made them shine more. Regardless, I sprinkled a small amount of sugar over the coating; roughly two table spoons to be exact. Gently I shook the excess sugar from the ramekins and set about preparing the oven next.

This in itself was the easy part of the whole recipe; I grabbed the baking tray and opened the oven door. Placing it on the lower shelf, I momentarily considered the difficulty of the dessert I was trying to make. Doubts were useless things to have right now; success in this instance was the only acceptable result, becoming daunted by the task now would only increase the chance of failure.

_And this dessert must be fucking **flawless**._

Renewed resolve coursed through me as I closed the oven door and set the dial to a fan-forced two-hundred degrees. I returned my attention to the stove top after completing that and turned the left-most element up to medium heat, then without missing a beat I put my rather heavy saucepan on top of it. Next on the agenda was melting another thirty grams of butter into the pan, which, exactly like last time, took no time at all. Once it started foaming I added around a table spoon of flower to saucepan and picked up my wooden stirring spoon; this mixture required stirring after all. Not for long however, roughly only two minutes or so in fact, beyond which the mix began to bubble just like I wanted.

Happy with that, I pulled the sauce pan off the stove and moved to the next step. I measured out three quarters of a cup of milk to within a millilitre and then slowly poured the liquid into my mixture, making sure to take due care and gradually add it while stirring with the wooden spoon.

Satisfied, I returned my mix and it's pan to the heat of the stove element; for the next three minutes I stirred while it came to a boil, and finally thickened. With everything going according to plan and the mix at the desired thickness, I tipped the saucepan contents into a larger bowl.

While I let the bowl sit, I quickly turned the right stove element to maximum and grabbed my second pan from the cupboard to the left of me. With haste, I threw in one hundred and fifty grams of cooking chocolate. It was entirely necessary for the mix and it wouldn't take more than a minute or two, yet while it was progressing I had time to crack open two eggs. After separating their yolks out, I put both into the bowl full of my mix; just in time to catch the chocolate at perfect melting point when I turned to face it.

Obviously it looked delicious now, but it would look even better in a short while, exactly why I wasted no time in adding to my prepared mixture in the bowl at my side. Now came the next part, which would involve yet more eggs. Using the whites separated from the previous eggs and the bowl containing them, plus the egg whites of another four I cracked open and separated, I pulled out the freshly store-bought electric mixer which I plugged in and immediately set to work.

I couldn't stop until soft little peaks in the egg whites began to form, though thankfully it didn't take long either. Honestly this whole process seemed fairly quick, but I was well aware that the most agonising part of this process would be the actual baking of soufflé. Still, this next bit would be slightly more involved.

Stirring in roughly a quarter of the freshly beaten egg whites to my other bowl full of chocolate mix with a metal spoon was the clean part. The nuanced part on the other hand came from having to fold the resulting mix in the  _rest_  of the whites. It took a small amount of effort to stir it properly but I told myself it would be worth it in the end and continued regardless.

Of course, that remained to be seen, but at least for now I had the mix fully ready for the trials ahead of it.

Without taking a moment to rest, I spooned the mixture into two ramekins; placing the rest of the mix in the fridge for later incase Wally wanted seconds, and also in case he didn't wake up in time for the first round of dessert. Of course, I made sure to check the mix itself was a centimetre below the rims of each ramekin afterwards, to avoid imperfections in the process naturally. Perfection couldn't be guaranteed, but to make absolutely certain I'd done the best job, I even tapped the bottoms of the ramekin's gently on the counter to shake out any possible air bubbles.

This left but one final counter-measure to failure; smoothing the tops of the mix in their ceramic containers. A measure easily executed.

 _Finally_.

All the preparation was done; there was no more room for error, because now it was crunch time. There were a few problems with soufflés and one of those was it's high failure rate. Any major deviation in the mix, or ill observed process would either deflate it or outright prevent it from puffing up while cooking anyways. One of those errors; a mistake easily made by novices in fact, was the opening of the oven door while the soufflé was in the process of baking.

Such a transgression caused deflation, and it wasn't easily observable until it was far too late either. Fortunately for me, I'd made this before with varying degrees of success each time and knew of this pit fall.

For this reason and this reason alone, the moment I placed the ramekins on the baking tray and closed the oven door, I took no further action. Opening oven doors, loud noises, all of them were detrimental to this recipe so the most obvious solution was to leave the kitchen entirely and return every five minutes merely to check on it's progress.

At most it would take twenty minutes, however the ideal time-frame was seventeen minutes total. Adhering to such a deadline would yield a soufflé with a hot chocolate centre that would melt in the mouth. Exactly the result I was aiming for.

Still, waiting was all that could be done now; attempting to speed up or tamper with it would only ruin the dessert, and I couldn't allow that. So I moved to the main room, the one where Wally was still soundly unconscious in bed, and pulled out my earphones. Briefly, I glanced at my poor companion. His resting expression was soft, peaceful even; showing no signs of the trauma of today's battle. Despite it all, he appeared as calm and serene as usual; a fact that caught me somehow, stirring a feeling I couldn't name.

I shook it off and turned away, taking my seat on one of the two couches in the room. Promptly, I switched on my Pokenav and plugged my earphones into it, after which I sifted through my playlists.

Music would be the perfect cure for my nerves and all the shit that had caused them to flare today.

_Even if it was heavy rock._

* * *

I drifted upward; eyelashes fluttering, nerves coming alive one by one. Speaking of nerves, mine were currently buzzing. My whole body felt like it had been compacted. It wasn't anything more than a dull ache, but it certainly didn't feel nice that's for sure. As my now bleary eyes adjusted to the dim yet puncturing unnatural lighting, the memory of the afternoon's events hit me all at once.

_**I lost.** _

"Forsythe!" I shouted, suddenly realising how I'd failed to win.

My Pokemon was in trouble and I had no clue where I wa-

"You're awake!" Came a surprised response from my left.

It was Ruby.

He had the most relieved expression on his face, like he'd just gotten the best news of his life. It only confused me even more than I already was, adding even more mysteries to the already high pile up of questions. The fact remained though, the most important question right now was the whereabouts and well being of my Pokemon.

"Where's Forsythe Ruby?" I asked, a sense of urgency underlying what should have been a plain question.

"Oh... He's staying at the Pokemon centre right now. I was gonna pick him up tomorrow actually."

Ok, well that answered the important question at least. Not that it told me anything about how I ended up in this... Room? On first glance I didn't notice it, but now that I had time to look...

_This is our hotel room!_

"R-Ruby! This is our room, how'd I get from the gym to here?!"

That was the one mystery left in this whole affair. After all, I knew where Forsythe was and why, I at least remembered my battle, though the ending was definitely foggy. Still, I could assume Brawly knocked us both out with an attack. How I ended up here though? Nothing but a enigma.

"Well..."

Ruby began with that, but his smile disappeared while he mulled over the next sentence or two.

"... Brawly carried you back."

He almost spat that name out of his mouth like it was going to make him sick. I couldn't know why Ruby hated Brawly right now, but it was readily apparent that he did. Despite the quirky gym leader being the person to bring me back here out of kindness. Really, shouldn't he be happy of all thi-

"You know Wally, I didn't expect you to wake up so soon, I was afraid I would have to refrigerate my creation." He interrupted, clearly wanting to change the subject.

Though the topic switch just made me confused again more than anything else.

"C-Creation? What creation?" I asked, perplexed by the sudden turn of conversation.

"Oh, remember when I said I'd make you a dessert when we got here?" He asked in kind, his smile returning.

Except this time the smile was different;  _warm_ , it was full of warmth and the relief from earlier on was reflected in it's edges. This was the kindest I'd seen Ruby thus far actually and to be perfectly honest it was just so... Reassuring? I didn't actually know what to make of it, but it made me happy all the same.

"Yeah, I do." I answered plainly, but with a tiny hint of cheer.

"Well good, because, given the rough day you've had I thought it was best if I went ahead and threw it together. I'm glad you got up too, it's been sixteen minutes since I finished cooking it up; I was worried that I'd have to put it in the fridge."

_He made food?! Scratch that; **He made dessert?!**_

My happiness welled up and bubbled to the surface, partially against my will; Ruby's food was  _amazing_. I loved sugary stuff too, which meant this was probably going to be the best thing ever. Anything Ruby made tasted like heaven, never mind anything in sugar with it; the idea that he'd made it for me caused me to become ecstatic with joy.

"R-Really?! Can I have it?" I asked hurriedly.

Ruby just shook his head with laughter before walking to the glass coffee table besides one of the couches. Upon said table, I noticed two white plates. One was covered in crumbs, the other however had something on it. A dark brown something which was sparsely covered in what appeared to be white dust. As Ruby returned, white plate in hand, I could make it out a little better. The white dust looked kind of like flour or sugar even; the sight had my mouth watering and almost instinctively I shuffled about in my bed, bringing myself to sit up right in anticipation of the promised food.

Ruby handed me my plate with what I thought was a hesitant smirk. I supposed he was proud of his work, but also anxious to see what I would make of it. He needn't have worried much about that though. Not only did Ruby have a reputation for good food, just looking at the plate in front of me I could tell this piece in particular would be great. It looked like a sponge cake and though it was small, it definitely appeared sweet; from the low heat of the plate I could also tell it was fresh.

 _Still warm_.

Though I still didn't actually know what it was. My ignorance gnawed at me harder than the urge to eat, so innocently, I presented my lack of knowledge hoping for a name to give to what would soon end up in my belly.

"U-uhhh, What is it Ruby? Is it a cake?" I asked as I picked up the spoon.

"It's a soufflé actually! Go ahead and dig in, it's still somewhat warm which means the inside will be molten thankfully!"

The beanie (and now apron) wearing trainer beamed at me with pride as he gave his answer; apparently this dessert had a melted core. I still had no clue what a soufflé was exactly, but it sounded nice and it looked even better. So, without further delay, I pushed my spoon down onto it's top, attempting to grab a piece of it to eat.

The puffy dessert offered no resistance and practically fell apart at even the remote application of force. As the side I scooped crumbled, what appeared to be liquid chocolate oozed out of the gap; some of said liquid chocolate getting pulled up with my spoonful. The liquid itself had a brilliant shine to it, even with the dim lighting it looked delicious.

I brought a portion of the dessert up to my mouth, the size of which eclipsed the tablespoon that held it, and took my first bite.

The taste was so perfect as to be  _completely_ overwhelming.

" _Auuughghghg, Ruuuuuuuuuby,_ _ **thishh ish awesomgah**_ _ **h!**_ " I exclaimed with my mouth full of nothing but sweet, sugary chocolate goodness.

I expected it to be great, but when the divine spoonful entered my mouth it transcended each and  _every_  expectation it was presented with. The 'cake' part of the soufflé was soft, puffy and moist in texture. However, the chocolate 'sauce' it was coupled with only accentuated the flavour further along with the texture; I could die eating something this good, that was for sure.

_And I'd gladly do it too._

The chocolate flavour danced across my tongue, weaving in between the fluffy-puffy texture and the overall sweetness of the dessert. It created a symphony of flavour, yet only with one dominant taste; really it was nothing short of surreal.

There was  _no way_  I was going to hold back for this; the melted chocolate flowing onto the plate was calling to me and I couldn't disappoint it. I might have been lacking energy before, but this soufflé renewed my reserves and I dug into it with a fervour to match Forsythe in battle. As I devoured the divine chocolate morsel I made non-descript sounds of contentment for the godly food.

Though I was fairly certain Ruby was more surprised for the speed with which I was eating it, rather than how much I liked his amazing dessert. Not that it mattered; this soufflé or whatever in Arceus name it was I'd demolish in no time.

Reminding it's creator of how ridiculously good it was in-between bites of course.

In the end, it took me all of five minutes to eat the whole thing, maybe even less if I thought about it. Yet at the end I could only smile; though my body still ached, that dessert made me feel all the better for being here. Ruby was an  _exceptional_  cook.

So good was the food that  _n_ _othing_  could hide the goofy smile on my face as I asked the most important question of the entire day thus far.

"Hey Ruby, can I have seconds?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Did you have fun? Probably more fun at the end than last time I'm betting. Still, I should cover a few things first.
> 
> You'll notice that Brendan really doesn't like Brawly. He was warming up to him until Wally got annihilated, then it just went down hill. This will serve as a nice motivator on top of everything else that already motivates Brendan to win against him. Because in truth, while he does hate him, Brendan also respects Brawly's skill and understands that Brawly is at least good at his job.
> 
> On the topic of Brawly though, he's clearly not one to deal with bullcrap, that said he's also a good mediator. Given his laid back personality this is a perfect trait for him. That said, I don't know 100% if I've hit the mark for him this chapter, so please let me know if I haven't!
> 
> Also, I drew attention to Brendan's skill in cooking by using a traditionally hard dessert. The difficulty of this dessert, most of which is in it's failure rate, also the displays his level of determination, and indirectly his level of care for Wally. After all, buying an electric mixer outright even if your rich as hell and then proceeding to put that much effort into a dish basically implies that he cares a lot for Wally at this point, even if he doesn't say it. This care is also highlighted by the way Brendan treats Brawly for his innocent mistake, despite Brawly not actually having done anything wrong.
> 
> In this way, I have indirectly displayed the romantic under tones between him and his travelling companion. Next time around I will focus more on Wally perhaps (even though I did focus a little on him at some points in this chapter).
> 
> Of course, if I haven't gone heavy enough on the fluff, or if you think I could have handled the romantic undertones better then please tell me!
> 
> Oh yes and Wally freakin loves sweet foods, so that choice of dessert was A+ on Brendan's part.
> 
> I'll give a big shout out to Luenick for their support and encouragement and SidekickPommy who not only gave me amazing ideas with reference to this chapter, but who's help as my editor/beta reader has brought significant improvement to my writing as a whole. You are both awesome people and you have my thanks!
> 
> With all that stuff out of the way I'll just repeat the information from earlier: I'm halfway done with my two-shot, so it will be coming soon, possibly next week. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this week's sweet fluffpocalypse of a chapter and I'll see you all next week!
> 
> Have fun and stay safe everyone!


	17. Cinders of a flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there peeps! I bring more words for your perusal. Sadly I do not have the next chapter for my two shot, conversely however, it is almost finished. To add to this, I'm on holiday from work for a week, so I'll have way more time to work on the next chapter, so expect a double release next sunday! Anyway, for this chapter I didn't have too much to cover, but the things I did cover will make for a really fun chapter and will also set up for the next chapter really well. Also, I had so, so much fun with character interaction this chapter.
> 
> So if you guys think I got the char interaction on point for this chapter then let me know! I'm really curious because that's what I was going for here.
> 
> Anyway, I'm just going to change the guest review section to a shout out section since I haven't had a guest review in a while. Also, chapter dev notes at the bottom like usual, happy reading!

The hideout reeked of sulphur; I supposed any normal human being would be disgusted, repulsed even. But I'd long grown desensitised to the stench that weighed in the air, at this point it might as well have replaced my need for oxygen.

Not that many people were in great need of that of course, most were just a waste of the air. My boss on the other hand, if anyone deserved to keep breathing it was him. He wasn't infallible, but he got results, and not just any results, the correct ones. His vision would lead not only Hoenn, but the whole world toward a grand utopia. Our leader planned to bring not only humans prosperity through the extension of land mass for living space, but also for Pokemon. The conclusion he'd arrived at was simple:  _Everyone_  would benefit from having more land.

Yet, despite the brilliance of his vision, the ignorant and worthless would only get in the way. This was the excuse for us to be kept hidden from the world, for us to limit our presence and work in the background. This decision was quite possibly the only one I couldn't agree with, I'd much prefer we just melt the competition to nothing instead of dancing in the shadows like a bunch of cowards. That said, our leader's words were absolute, I could disagree all I wanted but orders were orders.

_He's proven himself time and time again anyway._

Which was true, as long as  _he_  was at the helm, the way forward was clear.

With that said, work would have to be done to reach our goal, exactly why I had been summoned to the my commander's office. It didn't take long getting there, considering the size of our hideout.

As I stepped through his door, I was reminded of what type of person our leader was. Meticulous, thorough and to the point. It was plain to see after all, the walls of his room and even the floor held nothing. Blank, save the metal desk in the middle of the room.

I had arrived in the correct place alright.

Still, it would be not only rude, but blatant in-subordination for me to ignore the man sitting at that desk. Though his glasses and calm face gave the impression of a peaceful person, his obvious flair for the colour red and his almost business like attire betrayed that façade almost immediately. The passion he could demonstrate in battle and in achieving his goals could eclipse all the fury of the sun.

_Of all the people in the world, Maximillion Matsubusa was not one to be trifled with, not even by me._

"You called boss?" I asked, surveying for any change in expression.

"Indeed Courtney. We have glaring issues to discuss." He answered, a clear twist in expression visible.

Anger? Annoyance? Whatever it was, Maxie was pissed; something happened.

"What might they be sir?" I answered, increasing the level of my formality to appease his mood.

"Aqua. Spies. We have many problems; problems enough as it is. Yet, it would seem two of our problems have returned to haunt us."

The reply was laced with an almost malicious anger, and he looked like he'd wanted to spit out something disgusting.

_This can't be good._

"Aqua and spies? Forgive my asking sir, but hasn't Team Aqua gone into hiding, surely if they had a spy we wou-"

"Not forgiven. You should know better than to test me  _Courtney_. But yes, despite your  _belligerent_  attitude, Team Aqua  _were_  in hiding. Emphasis on the 'were' here. My infiltration expert has told me they've begun to move again; they're plotting something. Whatever that something might be, I have good reason to believe it's big..."

I wouldn't dare open my mouth again, I'd already spoken out of turn once this meeting. Doing so again would mean risking half the room being blown sky-fucking-high, and that would be only a  _mild_  reaction on Maxie's part. All I had to do was wait until he spoke again, not that I had to wait long for that.

"... And then there's that spy..." He began, folding his arms on his desk. "We moved our base of operations to the other side of the mountain, hidden well away inside meteor falls and yet... They found us. I don't know what their aim is since they've shown no intention of pressing forward, but with Aqua on the move I can not afford any interruptions."

He gave an approximation of exasperation with that last line, apparently this issue was plaguing his thoughts. Whatever the case, we had a snitch on the loose somewhere outside our hideout it seemed. Judging by the near-death stare Maxie was giving me and the information he had divulged, it was my role to 'fix' this problem of ours.

"Courtney Kagari." He spoke up again, stern expression never waning.

"Sir?"

"All the information we have on this leak is with the information team. Retrieve this data from their department and  _eliminate_  the outlier. I care not for their affiliation or identity, simply see to it that they never bother me again."

_Finally._

Though I would never show it outwardly, this was the kind of mission I could get behind. All this espionage work had sapped my enthusiasm for our grand task. Now, after so long holding back, me and Yougan would have a chance for some harmless stress relief.

_Well, mostly harmless for us._

"You've my word sir, me and Camerupt will reduce this interloper to slag, if not dust." I stated with confidence, yet maintaining my lack of expression.

"Good. Be off with you, I have planning to do." He said, motioning his arm toward the door.

Staying past my welcome would be the last mistake I could make around Maxie, so without missing a step, I strode right out of this office. Ironic however; this spy issue had caused our leader an apparently great deal of stress, yet I could only find joy in the whole affair.

_I can't wait to blow shit up._

* * *

Lilycove was a bustling metropolis of a city. Thanks to being located by the sea it enjoyed a large share in sea-based trade. As a result, the city could be best described as opulent, almost as over done as Mauville in fact. Thankfully, due to the ever present, yet soft, sunlight none of the city lights were illuminated when I came in for landing.

Conversely, the moment I touched down, I was swamped. Lilycove was massive. Bigger than both Petalburg and Rustboro combined and then some; it was no surprise that I'd be hunted by the fans. Normally such a deterrent would keep me out of a hole like this. My life was bad enough without people circling me in packs like rabid Poochyena looking for a meal, but I had no such luxury tonight.

This was a mission after all.

Wading through the ocean of people that formed about my person was necessary; I needed to reach the destination outlined in Cynthia's mission brief as soon as possible. Her bitching was bad enough as it was, and solving this matter would allow me to chase after my actual goal.

_That stupid kid._

No matter how I looked at it, this was all his fault. By leaving his precious hag of a mother behind he had inadvertently thrown me under the bus. I would not be under any real kind of pressure if I didn't have that particular problem looming over me.

As I broke free of the crowds and headed for the abandoned shipyard, I was left to ponder my situation. The reflection brought clarity to my thoughts, despite my emotional state having been run through a grinder the past few days.

My plan was simple.

Confirm the existence of this stupid hide out and recon it for three or so days. Apprehend and arrest based on undercover evidence gained, upon which I would go right back to chasing the brat. Clock-work in execution, at least as far as theory was confirmed. Life had a bad habit of going sour lately, and I was not going to underestimate it this time.

_Good thing I brought along a friend to help this time._

I was but a block away from the shipyard in question, and my friend would help me escape this crowd.

"Hephaestus! Come out and help me!" I shouted, startling the people closest to me.

The crowd further split when the Pokeball flashed upon hitting the ground, revealing my Bisharp.

"My apologies to you all." I continued. "But I have something I must attend to, now if you please, me and my Bisharp have problems to be dealing with."

One of the rules of the league was that if a champion calls a Pokemon out, civilians had to back off. This particular clause was in place for public safety and to ensure champion battles wouldn't be interrupted. Plus, if nothing else, moving a crowd out of the way at least briefly was quite an achievable feat with a big flash of light.

I wasn't wrong about either of those things, for in seconds, the crowd fully split, allowing me passage. After which there was no way for me to be any happier; free of the scrambling masses grabbing at me for a photo or an autograph, I made my way toward the shipyard outlined in Cynthia's report.

According to her information, the shipyard's official status was abandoned. On paper it's owner had shut down due to being out competed by the neighbouring distribution company and therefore starved of funding. However, Cynthia's discovery of a long since derelict under cover operation underneath came with other startling information. Information which alluded to the fact that somewhere within this shipyard was a hidden underground port.

Within this port presumably lied the hide out of Team Aqua.

Of course, this meant danger, there was no way for me to survey the area proper without being caught out by any patrolling forces. At least not in the conventional sense anyway. With that said, complicated entry methods would take far to long and surveillance would take even longer.

_Exactly_  why I brought Bisharp with me.

Hephaestus was a steel type, but he was also a dark type. One very handy ability of dark types was light manipulation; simply put, Bisharp could bend the light in a fairly good area around itself. During the day, this had very little practical application. Daylight was too potent, too strong for any real progress to be made using such an ability.

Unnatural light, and indeed moonlight on the other hand; those two things were much weaker in intensity,  _especially_ artificial light. Due to lacking some of the wavelengths of natural light, it was much easier to bend and warp. The end result of this was simple.

Assuming nightfall, Bisharp could cloak us both and keep from being visibly detectable.

My plan was quite literally to walk in, record all of the relevant evidence, maybe even a voice clip or two, before walking out. Using this strategy, evidence collection should only take at worst two days. Nothing compared to the weeks long crusade that a regular surveillance method would require.

After that of course, I was gonna bust in there; police force in tow, and absolutely  _ruin_  the offending Team Aqua. Not a single one of their members would escape a jail sentence if I could help it, not after they stole from me and father.

_They won't have a fucking clue what'll hit them._

* * *

_Losing isn't fun._

Especially when the price for defeat is to have every nerve in your body screech at you on their highest capable frequency. Yes, even now with two days since Brawly having bested me I could still feel it; dull, and becoming duller still by the day, yet I could still feel it.

You'd think feeling the effects of being crushed into concrete would be painful, and they definitely were. Yet despite the effect it had on my body, I was far more worried for my companion when I woke up. Forsythe was the one to take that attack first hand, but fortunately, thanks to both the gym leader and my friend Ruby, Forsythe had made a full recovery. That didn't ease the guilt though; it was  _my_  inexperience that caused that pain,  _my_  inability to battle like other trainers.

There was no two ways about it, I was to blame for everything.

It wasn't just Forsythe being dragged into this either, Ruby also worried about me, and me convulsing in agony every time I lost a battle wouldn't help matters. Being incapable was the worst feeling, relying on everyone else was the last thing I wanted to do, never mind being a nuisance. So I resolved to do better. That said, all the good intentions in the world wouldn't help me win, I  _had_  to improve to get anywhere. Practising with my Pokemon would be the first step; especially considering the two members of my team other than Forsythe had no experience in battle what so ever.

Anastasia demonstrated that quite clearly when my gym challenge went awry. She didn't even land an attack, never mind listening to anything I was saying. In this at least, that was a successful test; the gap between me and other trainers was  _massive,_  a fact that I could only understand the scope of through battle. Yet that chasm of skill only spurred the flickering cinders of passion to burn that little bit brighter.

I was determined to train until my legs dropped off; a fact that I made crystal clear to Ruby moments after having my third soufflé. At first he seemed almost surprised by my tenacity, not that I could blame him for that, but eventually that surprise turned to concern. He was worried I'd be pushing it, but even he knew how futile it was to try and convince me not to attempt it. Though, had he not known, he still would have been in a bind anyway. Ruby promised to help me train before we came to Dewford, and I had every intention of making him uphold that promise.

_With his help, I would get better._

That much was apparent, and me demonstrating my ability during training might give him more reason to trust me on the whole. Despite the purpose though, Ruby refused to let me train with him for the first two days, simply so I'd 'recover'. No matter how much I pleaded my good health, he wouldn't have a bar of it. So yes, I was left to simmer for two days after my loss. Granted that time was spent drawing so it wasn't completely wasted, but I was all the better for finally breaking that mostly arbitrary two day limit.

_Well, mostly._

In truth I still felt the dullest of aches on my torso; lingering memento of my previous gym attempt, but that didn't stop my enthusiasm when I asked Ruby on the third day.

"So we are gonna train today right Ruby?" I asked after getting dressed and moving to the kitchen where he was.

Said kitchen looked fairly quaint this early in the morning. Bright sunshine was flowing through the window from outside, which had the effect of the counter casting a small shadow over my companion toward the end of the room. Though the shadow covered his lower body, his face which was facing the illumination coming from the window seemed pensive. These last few days he had been caught in thought and I couldn't place why, much to my frustration. So lost in contemplation in fact, that he hadn't noticed my question.

"R-Ruby?" I questioned again, tentative this time in case I was disturbing him.

He turned to face me, though it was evident that for a second or two he was still away in day dream given the almost glassy look of his vacant eyes.

"Huh?" Was the half-dazed response.

"We are g-gonna train today right?"

It was a nervous question, but he promised and I very much wanted the help. Desire wouldn't ease the slight anxiousness that he might say no for the sake of my safety again, nor would it abate my thumb twiddling habit.

"Uhh, yeah, sure. I did say we would Wally."

Now I had his attention, better than that though. I also had confirmation that he'd train me today; the revelation alone caused butterflies to swirl in my stomach. Happiness rushed through me; like a torrent it washed away my previous unease. A stupid grin spread across my face because of it, a grin I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried.

"Don't look so happy, we have a lot of work to do." Ruby replied, smirk in tow.

I decided to feign annoyance, giving the most convincing pout I could in return for his remark. Not that doing that ever worked, Ruby knew I was pretending pretty much instantly. Still, to keep the conversation flowing toward training I changed my tune quickly.

"Maybe... But we should get started soon right?"

My cheer returned; the beginnings of a warm smile spreading across my features as I asked, slightly more insistent than the last time.

"I guess so, just let me finish my coffee." Was his oddly un-emotive reply.

Ruby was acting a little different today; there was a glimmer of his usual self in the smirk earlier, but it disappeared. Truth be told, it was driving me crazy trying to figure out. I was worried I had done something to cause this shift in mood, but it was only recently Ruby had begun to act like this. The attitude shift was visible the first day after the battle and had continued up to now. Yet for the life of me, I couldn't see why.

Frustration aside though, he'd promised to train me and he apparently planned to keep that promise.

_And I absolutely could not wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Welcome to the end notes. You'll notice that in this chapter Brendan has been quite contemplative, what reason this is for exactly will be revealed next chapter, but it is something to consider. On top of this, we also see Wally show some more cute interaction with Brendan for the sake of the ship and plot, so there's that.
> 
> In this chapter we also see another expression of typing mechanics that I have been playing with. You've already seen the psychic link for psychic types, but darks types have an ability that Steven discusses here. Cloaking. Now you might be thinking "This seems unbalanced" Well you see, due to the way it works it's actually fairly ok. For the reasons that Steven has outlined, it only works at night or when moving through artificial light not produced by the sun. Not only does this thematically fit with the dark type itself, it also limits the uses of the ability on the whole. This ability is quite important, as is it's limitations, like all type abilities I introduce, it is key to the people who make use of it.
> 
> Disregarding cool moves however, I tried to amp up the characterisation for team magma's introduction. I had very little I could show in a short meeting between boss and admin, but I felt that I hit a sweet spot for their characterisation. I had a great deal of fun fleshing out the magma section, so please, let me know if I actually did hit the mark. On the topic of team magma admins though, bonus points to any of you who see the true meaning of Camerupt's nickname 'Yougan'.
> 
> Anywho, I'd like to shout out to three people this week! The first goes to Mitsurausu for being my beta-reader/editor and a wonderful source of support while writing this. Your late night vigils just so you can read my work helps uplift my spirit, thank you heaps!
> 
> The second shout out goes to Luenick for their constant support and encouragement. The fact that you also stay up so late to read my stuff really gives me confidence in my writing, thank you very much for your continued support.
> 
> And the final shout out goes to Myoogen10 for their recent (and awesome) contributions to the loverival fandom!
> 
> Well, that about sums up the shout outs, so once again I will bow out for a week. Thanks for reading this far everyone and I hope to see you all next chapter!


	18. Mistakes were made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there everyone!, I'm back again, this time with a fairly long chapter for you all. But that's not all. Thanks to having a week of holiday away from work, I have a double release planned for this week. I have around 10K words worth of content combined for you guys, 5K of it being this chapter, and the other 5K being the final chapter of my Two shot bonus fic. Of course, I actually got the main chapter done a little while ago and it's been sitting on my hard drive for a bit, so I decided that an early release, at least for the main chapter, would be a nice little treat for you guys!
> 
> So yes, I'm releasing this chapter a day early, while I work on finishing off the bonus fic chapter (which I will release in the following day and a bit). So you guys can enjoy it ahead of time!
> 
> I'd like to also say that any feed back given is highly appreciated, so don't be shy about telling me anything. Positive or negative constructive criticism are highly valued by myself as it helps me to improve as a writer and make this story better. So if you feel I have hit a mark, or missed a mark with anything in this, or any other chapter, then let me know!
> 
> Anywho, I'll give the usual reminder that notes and shout outs are at the bottom and then leave you to it.
> 
> Have fun readers!

Blame is a funny thing.

So is regret to be fair. Both of them I had come to understand after Wally's match with Brawly. The fight itself was a simple one, but it ended with someone writhing in agony. It caused a great deal of emotion that defeat, and it wasn't even mine. So then why would I be so shaken from it? Any answer I could come up with for such a question was always the same; I felt I was to blame.

Though it was a simple conclusion, it bore weight. A weight I could almost feel digging into me as I leaned on the kitchen counter, staring through the foggy window on the other side of the room with an almost blank gaze. The cadence of the morning light as it bounced between the little droplets of moisture on the glass was eerily enchanting. Like a lense, it only served to deepen my focus; to bring my mind careening back into my pensive consideration of recent events.

_Ahhh yes._

I thought to myself while taking another regretful sip of coffee.

_Who else could be to blame for this but me?_

Brawly would be an excellent candidate for it to be sure, purely because he had been the one to make Wally convulse with pain. But, and this was a big 'but', he didn't know of Wally's weakness going in. As much as I wanted to cast the shadow of blame upon him for the outcome, I couldn't. It was  _my own_  rash decision making that brought this about. Had I trained Wally like I promised; taken just a little bit more time, it wouldn't have happened. I told his relatives I would protect him, and even if such a deal was nothing more than accident, I didn't actually want to fail it either. I'd dragged Wally into my illegal mess and stole him away from his family. Even if the green muffin-top wanted that to begin with it didn't change anything; I had been nothing but a monumental asshole thus far.

I let my haste blind me to Wally's inexperience; I allowed all of this to happen.

_I am to blame._

Yet, I couldn't admit that. I could not tell Wally of my deceit and I couldn't argue his insistence to leave his family. There was no apology that could be given, so I had to repent for this mistake the hard way. Speed was important, but recklessly charging forward without regard for Wally's pacing would put him in harms way.

_At least for Wally's sake, I **will**  slow down._

Not just that either, I'd teach him everything I knew about battling. The less he had to rely on that damned psychic link, the less he'd wind up getting hurt. There was no room to make that error again, Wally had to be on my level at all times. If I was to be stuck with him across Hoenn, then I, as his current guardian, had to take responsibility for that and help him. Of course, doing so had benefits for me as well; Wally would be practising with me, and in so doing, we would both get better. Though I resolved to do this for Wally's sake it was a mutually beneficial arrangement; save the lack of speed, of course.

After mulling over this resolve for two days, and other thoughts besides, the time had come to get back to training. With no visible injuries or issues, I had assumed Wally would only need minimal recovery time. A fact proven by his insistence that we start training immediately; another reason for the short two day recovery period. Now it was done though, and Wally was on his feet. Hell, he'd asked me to start before I could even wake the poor kid up to tell him myself.

Soon after I'd poured that disgusting coffee he came running through from the central room, looking no worse than he had mere days ago. Wally seemed to possess even more energy than before; I was envious, to have such boundless cheer even in the face of defeat was remarkable.

_Eager as always._

Regardless of this interruption though, I was still caught up in my thoughtful daze that morning, sipping away at substandard coffee provided by room service, while Wally spoke of the day ahead. The coffee's faintly bitter and murky depths could serve as a metaphor for my thoughts; cloudy, uncomfortable and leaving naught but a soft yet foul aftertaste. There was more on my mind than just Wally, but I hadn't given much time to such thoughts anyway. Yet they were still important all the same, it wouldn't be long after this gym that we would reach Slateport, and then...

_Best not to think about it._

I banished that horrid line of thinking almost immediately, it was even more abhorrent than the coffee. My green-haired companion was unaware of many things, my inner turmoil being one, and after confirming our training session he left without much of a care in the world.

His leaving the room however had shook me from my thoughts, galvanising me to action. With Wally having asked for training today and a promise I had to keep, the day was set. With that in mind, I poured the remnants of the bitter drink into the sink at my side; it wasn't worth finishing and there were things to do. Remaining in thought forever wasn't on the agenda today.

It was time to get started.

* * *

Our first practice turned out to be a bit... basic.

The backdrop for this practice was the only thing beautiful about it really. A beach on the shore of Dewford, nearby the rocky hills on the island, far out from civilisation and distractions. One would think that with the distance that the red-eyed trainer put between us and the city, we were to battle a whole lot for training's sake.

Personally, I'd thought Ruby would teach me some advanced moves, like implied commands and the like, on top of showing me where I was going wrong.

But he didn't do that. Instead, Ruby focused solely on the basics. First there was the hour long type lesson, along with the discussion of innate abilities of each and their weaknesses. I already knew a majority of the theory thanks to TV, in fact, other than innate abilities I had the type match-ups down pat. So, sparing such innate powers, the lecture on match ups wasn't very entertaining to say the least.

Yet, despite my boredom, I resolved to grin and bare the theory. Ruby was helping me, even if his help started further back than I would have liked, it was help all the same. Being better was more important than not being bored, and if nothing else, a refresh on the basics would give me a good start. Ruby made sure that I had everything down one-hundred percent before he proceeded to talk about the theory behind battling itself.

This part was marginally more interesting than the last lesson since he was covering more than just types. Ruby detailed a  _lot_  of things. He started off small, talking about and demonstrating commands in battle as well as how the volume of one's voice can change the urgency or power of an attack. Before long though, he'd moved onto much bigger fish. Eventually he started detailing positional advantage, how location and the environment affected the battle, and how a Pokemon's form mattered.

It was a  _long_  theory lesson to say the least.

After all the information tutoring and what seemed like hours, the day was beginning to draw to a close, indicated by the setting sun on the horizon. Given that it was basically inching on night time I honestly thought we were going to stop our lesson there.

 _But I was wrong_.

As I began to pack away my Pokeballs, putting them into my cardigan pocket, Ruby spoke up.

"Are you really done? I thought you were more determined than that."

I looked at him, catching the vivid and smug grin he was giving.

"Huh? You mean we can keep going?" I asked back, surprised by the level of mirth he had for this.

That was another thing too. As if by magic, Ruby's earlier pensiveness had disappeared completely. No evidence of it could be found during the lesson. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't detect what had made him look so off-kilter earlier, but I decided that should've been a good thing in the end. If Ruby was annoyed with me as I feared he was, he wouldn't be so happy now; no, it had to have been something else entirely.

"Of course! I still have to give you a practice battle or ten. You, Anastasia and Xavier need to train, and so does Din. It'd be best if we started practising right now, and it'll give you a chance to test out what you've learned too." He told me, smirk settling into a smile.

I was positively ecstatic with joy now.  _Ruby was going to battle me!_  Granted it was practice with relatively untrained Pokemon, but still!

"S-So we're gonna battle?! That's awesome news!.. But uhhh... W-Who do I use?" I inquired somewhat nervously.

After the rush of excitement I felt anxious. Ruby was good,  _really good_. Even in a practice battle, and after going through the basics with him, this would be a tough lesson. Tough enough that I didn't know who to practice with.

"Well you see..." He began, smirk returning. "You're going use both of them, we aren't going back to the hotel till the clock strikes eleven Wally." He finished, pointing at the clock on his Pokenav screen.

"S-So we have t-three hours to practice?!" I asked, disbelieving that he would want us to stay out so late practising.

Really, I could only guess why he was so motivated to train, his normal demeanour suggested just rushing through his next challenge rather than spending time getting better. As usual, Ruby was ever the mystery.

"More or less. We have a lot of work to do before challenge we Brawly again, might as well keep going right?"

The smirk on his face didn't diminish, and neither did my disbelief, but I would take every chance I could in order to improve as a trainer. What ever had possessed Ruby to offer to train for so long didn't matter; best not to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth after all.

I pulled out Xavier's ball from my pocket, musing on how I'd only just put it back there to take it out again. As I twirled the unarmed Pokeball between my fingers I looked at Ruby and smiled.

"I'll take the left half of the arena you drew in the sand." I said while arming the Pokeball, causing it to grow in size and take up my entire palm.

"Fine by me." He responded with a smile matching my own, before walking towards his end of the arena.

In turn, I strode off to my end. No doubt Ruby would have a lot to say after the first match, but I wanted a second chance at battling like a normal trainer, even if it was just practice. Plus, if it was just for the sake of training, no serious injury of Pokemon could be expected, all the more reason to be light-hearted about the whole thing. After all, Ruby really was going to help me get better and all I could do about it was smile.

Well, smile and fight anyway.

* * *

{Master, did you catch my aura spike? There is someone nearing us}

A voice posed in my head, the result of a hybrid aura and psychic waveform that emanated from the Pokemon at my side.

Lucario were capable of aura manipulation and low level telepathy; the lack of psychic prowess meant that a psychic link was nigh impossible. Yet it was still possible for them to communicate telepathically; along with their sensory abilities Lucario made for excellent infiltrators

"Please stop calling me that, Nin." I responded, with slight annoyance.

Lucario afforded me more respect than I felt was due, my Pokemon were my equals and it knew this. Honestly at this point I could jot it down to him teasing me, which given the nature of our job right now, should be at the bottom of our to-do list.

{Once you use my full name,  _master_ }

_Yep, teasing._

I sighed before making my point.

"Just tell me what the issue is." I spoke in a serious tone, we were on a mission after all.

{One person has broken off from the hive of activity you've had me monitoring inside that mountain. They are headed our way it seems}

Lucario's aura channelling ability could reveal much, like the movements of individuals and their moods, even better that the ability itself had an absurd range of influence. One kilometre in it's radius; a trained Lucario had a sensory level far surpassing that of most Pokemon. It could detect lies through shifts in the colours of auras, track their movement and gauge when it had the emotional upper-hand in battle. Even now, to be able to sense from this range...

{Do we relocate again?} Nin asked, breaking my small moment of awe.

"No, Jigokudou has collected a great deal of evidence for us through it's repeated surveillance, combined with the evidence from the abandoned hideout, we have a lot we can prosecute Team Magma with. It's fortuitous that someone has found us actually, we can pick them off from the pack and haul them back for some...  _brief_   _discussion_."

{So you would use Jigo's full name and not mine?} Came the cheeky response.

Normally I'd allow for more playful jabs, but now was hardly the time for banter, work had to be done.

" _Ningendou._ **Focus**." I told the Pokemon with a small scowl.

{My apologies Master, I meant no disrespect}

The tone was indeed apologetic, perhaps I had been too forceful. Still, given the nature of this mission, I couldn't be blamed for such an attitude.

"It's fine, I just want to get this done. Can you tell me exactly where this person is right now?" I asked, easing back my tone from earlier.

{Well, that's just it Master, I asked if we should relocate because they seem aware of our presence. Currently, they are behind us, and appear to be attempting a flanking manoeuvre}

_They were aware?_

"How close?" I asked in a more serious manner than the last question.

{An estimated three minutes before they are upon us Master} Was the equally serious reply.

" _Hmph._  Fine. We might as well wait for out guest." I said, turning around on the spot to face the supposed direction of the newcomer.

Lucario merely nodded, turning also to match me. So we waited. Now that I had the time to be idle, I took in the details of our position. Though it was dark and the moon was in the sky, I could still see all the little nooks and crevices around our section of the giant cliff that spanned across meteor falls. One such nook was our base of operations, and had been for about half a week now. The documents at the abandoned base had detailed the shift of an entire hideout was to escape the eyes of a spy. Obviously, someone else had been prying into Team Magma affairs, not that they seemed to follow along after the move. If they had, me and Nin would have found them quite swiftly on the outskirts of this mountain.

I continued to ponder the intel on this group thus far and Nin kept up it's Aura surveillance in the meantime, sending a pulse to me when the person in question was upon us. Though it  _did_  take around three minutes as predicted, it felt a lot longer to me.

A woman came into view, emerging from behind the side of a boulder near the cliff face from which we staged this operation. Originally I had guessed she was to make an attempt at surprising us with stealth, yet this woman was anything  _but_ stealthy.

In fact, in the very moment she became aware that we could see her, I could have sworn she'd made the most lofty smile I'd ever seen.

_It's almost like she wanted to be found._

Before even arriving, she called out her Pokemon. I didn't hear it's name, but it was apparent what it's species was the moment it was summoned. A Camerupt, and a dangerous looking one at that. Not that it mattered of course.

As she neared us, she opened her mouth to speak.

"So you're the person eaves dropping on us. Well gee... and here I thought you'd have the balls to at least show your face when we met."

Her tone was laced with a false sweetness, the kind that could get under your skin after a while. This was a taunt, and apparently my hooded cloak was a dissatisfying sight. I had a fair mind to respond in kind, but if they were going to play the part of taunting asshole then I'd just have to keep my identity hidden...  _For now._

"So you knew then? And it took you this long to send someone to stop me? Forgive me for being wrong, but don't you misfits pride yourselves on results? Or did you throw that slogan out the window at the last board meeting?"

My rebuttal was swift and cutting, if psyching me out was her game then I felt almost sorry for her.

_She has no clue who she's dealing with._

"Ohohoho, the rat has a bite, and it's female no less! You're quite the mordant little cow aren't you? Well, no matter, it'll be just that much more fun  _liquefying you_." She spat at me, still managing to maintain her sickly sweet tone throughout.

Her words were intended to incite anger, but anger was unnecessary when dealing with insects such as hers-

{ _Master, look!_ }

_Huh? What did- The air?!_

Lucario was right, the air had risen a few degrees, so much that the heat was distorting the light. Just what in the hell was go-

"Do you like it? Personally I can't get enough of a nice heat wave. It's perfect for relaxing...  _and reducing my enemies to puddles of slag_."

That woman! Her Camerupt was emitting an intense level of heat, indicated by the heavy air distortion both around and above it. A strong Pokemon indeed...

_Interesting, I might actually have some fun here._

Whoever she was, her Pokemon was a step above push over, perhaps it would even give Lucario some exercise. Of course, I shouldn't get my hopes up, I probably wouldn't have to even give commands either. Really, what challenge coul-

"Yougan,  _set that bitch on **fire**_!"

**Shwoom**

A funnel of fire erupted from the Camerupts mouth without warning, aimed directly for me.

" _Raarrggghhh!_ " A cry echoed out.

_Protect eh? Not a bad choice of move Nin._

Lucario jumped infront the inferno while conjuring a barrier, which not only shielded me from the attack, but dispersed the flames. With the first assault over, I spoke up again, this time being more clear in my intent.

"You've just been witnessed committing the acts of both intent to harm with Pokemon and Misuse of a Pokemon attack. If you come with me and stop this now I won't press these charges against you. Any further transgressions will however be interpreted as attempts to harm an acting member of law enforcement and  _will_ be punished."

Clear, concise and without nonsense.

_Not that anyone ever takes up such a generous offer._

"Pffffft." The red-hooded woman clutched at her chest in laughter.

I decided not to speak up, letting my body language speak for itself. I was being serious. This only made her laugh even harder, but after a good three minutes, she finally calmed down.

"I can't- ha- Believe this! Not only are you a rat and a cow, you're also a pig as well! Imagine that! Hahahaha!"

_Apparently she hadn't calmed down enough._

"Are you quite finished?" I asked, annoyed with her near spastic laughter.

My disinterest in her amusement only spurred her on, but she didn't stop to cackle this time before she answered.

"No actually, I'm not; but you are." She began, malice breaking up the artificial sweetness to her tone. " **Yougan, Lava Plume!** "

_Oh bother, another pointless attack._

"Lucario." I stated calmly.

One word. All that was necessary as Camerupt's back spewed a glob of Lava toward us.

_Only for Lucario to push it aside in mid-air with psychic, leaving it to sit harmlessly on the rock-face metres to our left._

However, looking at the fact that the lava was still strong enough to partially melt the rock, there could be no doubt that attack was strong, and if I was anybody else I would be hard pressed to deal with someone such as her.

_But I'm not anybody else._

No matter how strong she thought she was, this person was so beneath me that I didn't have to say more than a single word and my Pokemon would defeat her. As it was, I'd grown tired of her and her attitude; it was time for me to act.

"Before I take you into custody, I'd like to at least exchange names. So, allow me to introduce myself..." I stated dead-pan.

Without removing my gaze from her, I lowered my hood, revealing my stern face and long blonde hair, before continuing my introduction.

"...  _I am Cynthia Shirona, the black Contessa of_ _I_ _nterpol and champion of_ _S_ _innoh_."

It was in this moment that all previous pretence melted away. No longer without a face, I'd revealed my identity to my quarry and in so doing I had managed to sap every last bit of her earlier confidence. The transformation of mood was profound; as was the change of atmosphere. Her malicious disregard had changed to a more fearfully reverent demeanour.

{Master, her emotional levels have begun peaking, you have the upper hand} Lucario whispered into my mind.

Though Nin hardly needed to do so, her unease was viewable to even the naked eye.

_She know's the shit she's in for now._

"What's the matter?  _Meowth got your tongue?_  At least tell me your name before you turn tail and run." I told her with slight amusement.

While I said that for the effect of emotionally destabilising her more, I would be lying if I said I didn't do it for a little pay back. I wasn't the vindictive kind of person, but there is only so many times I was willing take being called a cow.

_That is to say: none._

"T-this...  **T-This changes n-nothing!** " Her confidence had faltered despite her best attempts at keeping it "I couldn't care if you were the champion of Almia, I'll still annihilate y-you!  **Enough**  fucking around, Yougan **, end this witch!** " She spat menacingly.

_What do you know, she still has some confidence left._

Oh well, the feisty ones always give up the most information when caught, and like a Mothim to a flame, she'd been unfortunate enough to find me. If nothing else, I'd at least get some entertainment out of this. Forthright entertainment apparently, since Camerupt was preparing for a seemingly large attack.

_I'll just get her formal introduction after the fact then._

* * *

This whole damned shipyard was nothing short of a mess. Even after waiting an hour for the moon to rise high enough to ensure perfect cloaking, all the effort seemed pointless.

Why?

_Because there was not as single fucking person here!_

Cynthia's intel had lead me to believe that somewhere, in this veritable maze of run down mechanical junk and pavement, was the Team Aqua hideout. A hideout that, by all my current information, should be buzzing with activity. Yet not a soul wandered the floor of this derelict dock; not even the the tiny warehouse complex at the end of the yard showed any signs of movement.

Which left me highly frustrated; so annoyed in fact, that it was all I could do not to start cursing. In the vague fear (or hope) that someone might actually catch me out at the worst possible moment, revealing my position. I had hoped to catch preliminary intel by wandering under the cover of Bisharp's cloaking ability; perhaps some banter between members, maybe even some ranking officers or the like within their organisation.

Yet, despite such wishful thinking, I had no such luck.

Which meant I had to go immediately to plan B. According to information retrieved from the abandoned base Cynthia mentioned in her logs, the entrance to the Team Aqua hideout could be found in one of the maintenance hallways on either side of the complex. It wasn't exactly specified which fucking one out of the four possible maintenance halls it was though, so I was basically left to search on my own.

And search I did, wasting an absolutely lovely hour on  _nothing_  in the process. Yet, after throwing away my time at nothing for a while, I had a small break through. The last hall I searched was the only one to contain a door at the end of it.

Much like how everything had been going thus far though, my joy was unceremoniously shattered right before my eyes when I made the particular discovery about said door.

_It was locked and would only open with a keycard._

Amazing.  _Fucking excellent in fact._  Of course my only lead would be the most difficult one to follow.

_Where would the fun be if everything was easy?_

I asked inwardly in sarcastic fashion, unable to verbalise my discontent for some small degree of personal catharsis. This revelation not only meant yet more frustration, but also that I couldn't pass, save using one of two options. Option A involved a noisy work around: Simply put, bring out Magnezone to short-circuit the lock and thereby grant me entry for the cost of the noise of calling said Pokemon out. Option B however, that would be relatively silent, I'd have Bisharp cut an entry point through the door. The obvious draw back of this being that the door would be irreparably and visibly damaged; basically painting a big neon sign above it saying 'look, someone forced entry!'.

It came down to a simple choice, forgo the possibility of Magenzone being over heard and go for entry right now, but at the cost of assuring my hosts knew of my presence; or risk it now for the pay off of it never alerting anyone. Needless to say, given how much evidence I wanted to collect, I went for the latter.

It would be much easier to short circuit the lock and subdue anybody who did notice the noise level, rather than deal with increased security later. Especially since, even with the best case scenario, this intel gathering mission would last at least two days.

_Or so I thought._

I suppose the first sign of trouble was the emptiness of the shipyard, and the second was the fact that no one came running to stop me when I called Zeus out of it's ball, despite the ridiculous volume of it's cry. Yes, both of these things should have alerted me to something being off about this so called hideout. Yet they did not, for when Magnezone finished applying it's shock to the device and the door opened and I strode down it's halls without thinking on the possibility that this would be a massive waste of time. The thought just didn't occur to me when I called Zeus back to it's ball and asked Hephaestus to cloak us again.

So naturally, when I walked down that hallway and it's flight of stairs, coming to view the room beyond, I would of course be highly surprised.

" _ **FUCK!**_ "

_As well as highly pissed off._

Empty.  _Fucking empty._  Yes, the room I had entered was vast and even held its own underground port of sorts, but by far the most relevant (and irritating) feature was that there was  _absolutely no one around._  Despite the sheer amount of space around me I couldn't find a single trace of human life. No grunts, no officers, not even Pokemon.

"For the sake of fucking Arceus..." I muttered under my breath.

There had to be someone, surely in one of the rooms dotted along my side of this underground... Harbour? Whatever the hell it was, it was cold, made entirely of metal and the whole dock was shaped like a U with a large body of Water in the centre. Clearly this had been a naval base, but now it was devoid of all life. A fact made abundantly clear by how all the rooms off to the side of this place had no one in them.

Some contained computer equipment, many had desks or filing cabinets, and others still were filled with row upon row of bunk-beds. Yet there was one feature this whole set up lacked, made especially disturbing by the empty beds and even more empty equipment rooms. That feature was people. After a rough hour and half moving through the complex it became apparent that even in the little rooms, there was no one to be found. Of course, this revelation wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't also for the fact that a majority of the important equipment was  _gone._  Or that the gateway leading to the water side entrance was wide open, suggesting that someone had taken a naval vessel out into the open.

A vessel which, judging from both the size of the harbour and the fact that the entrance way out was almost completely submerged, happened to be a submarine.

_They only just stole our sub plans, how could they have one so fast?!_

It didn't make any sense, they couldn't have built it so quick, even with the help of Pokemon. There were only two ways they could have possessed a sub at this point. Either they had stolen one, which wasn't likely as it would have been mentioned by father along with our stolen plans and research.  _Or_  they already had one built and stole out plans to improve it.

All of this was pure conjecture since I had no evidence, but that didn't make it any less unsettling. Especially since I could say one thing with pure certainty: Team Aqua was no longer active in this base. Where they had gone, what they planned to do, I just couldn't say; I wouldn't be able to find any evidence or even question them about it. The best I could hope for would be someone having left a breadcrumb of information in the wake of vacating this hideout.

Even that however, considering my luck, was slim at best. Which meant one thing and one thing only.

_Cynthia was right and I'm about to get a fucking earful._

In the space of two hours, two gloriously wasted hours, everything had gone from bad to worse. Not only would the thieves who stole my property not get caught out today, but I was about to be the one punished instead.

" _I swear to fucking Arceus!_ "

I shouted with rage, breaking any guise of stealth and kicking over a trash can that sat at the side of the room I investigated last. Reluctantly, I called back my surprised Bisharp into it's ball and sat on on of the bunk beds on the opposite end of the cold, steel room, groaning in the palms of my hands out of frustration.

_Why is it never easy?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! We have a whole lot to talk about this week!
> 
> Firstly, I'm just going to clarify Pokemon nicknames, since a brief discussion with my editor did highlight that it might be prudent to do so. Camerupt's name 'Yougan' means lava in japanese. The two names that Cynthia uses ('Jigokudou' and 'Ningendou' specifically) are references to the six paths of enlightenment, part of the Saṃsāra ideology that can be found within Buddhism. These paths are the different 'realms' or 'planes' of existence that souls journey through on their path to Nirvana, so to speak. More to the point, Ningendou is the human realm and Jigokudou is the 'hell' realm. All of Cynthia's Pokemon will follow these naming conventions, and unlike Steven, I will be sticking to her canon team found in Pokemon platnium. The names themselves are the japanese names for said paths, and you'll probably be able to guess which of her team mates got which name (especially Jigokudou, that one is fairly obvious).
> 
> This is to follow the themes present with Steven, who names his Pokemon after greek gods. I like coming up with naming conventions, and divine conventions seemed to suit these two due to their status as champions.
> 
> Anyway, with naming out of the way, lets talk about all the stuff that happened in this chapter.
> 
> The first thing you'll notice is that Brendan has realised fully that he is the problem that caused Wally's failure to defeat Brawly. Had he slowed down and trained him before hand like he promised to do, Wally wouldn't have been beaten so badly. On top of his already pretty big list of mistakes he's made, like lying about his identity, Brendan is feeling pretty guilty right now. He's also dreading something beyond Slateport for whatever reason, which at this point is anyone's guess as to what really (except mine :P). I also used a coffee metaphor again, because I love likening Brendan's struggles to what I think is his favourite drink; it's all part of the fun of writing for me.
> 
> On top of this though, we also see Wally being pretty enthusiastic despite being given basic tutoring to begin with. This is to highlight his drive, his motivation as a trainer to put up with everything he has to in order to improve. It also helps that he respects Brendan a great deal, enough so that he looks to him for guidance in Pokemon battling.
> 
> To the topic of Cynthia and Courtney, you can quite clearly see I'm gearing the two of them up for battle, and having a ridiculous amount of fun playing with their interaction too, since the insults being thrown around are funny considering who they are. Of course, while Cynthia was the narrator in that section, and she believed Courtney to be beneath her and even ended up psyching her out a little, this does not actually mean Courtney will be an easy victory for Cynthia. Their battle is likely to take up a great deal of the next chapter and although Cynthia is the champion, she will find out exactly how strong Courtney really is. My intention with this is to draw attention to Courtney's leader. After all, if Courtney is strong enough to keep the black Contessa busy for a little while, how strong is maxie considering even a scowl from him terrifies the other wise sadistic magma admin? An important question indeed, but one that will be answered at a later date at any rate.
> 
> Of course, we finally come to Steven. Poor, poor Steven. Cynthia was right, Team Aqua left their base, they are gone. And now he has to tell her, which is highly unfortunate, but sadly for someone on the job, that is life. Still, given the trouble he's got himself in, it'll be very interesting to see who gets the brunt of his anger first... Yes, if it wasn't for Team Aqua and Magma, he would have caught Brendan by now. An interesting fact to consider as our two main protagonists are completely unaware of the turmoil happening across Hoenn right now, or even the fact that they had a pursuer to begin with.
> 
> Anyway, I've discussed chapter events enough, so I'll get to doing the shout outs:
> 
> First and foremost, a big thank you to Mitsurausu for being an awesome editor and friend! Your encouragement of both my written and drawn endeavours, as well as your help with proof-reading my chapters really help to motivate me.
> 
> Secondly, I'd like to shout out to Luenick for also being a great and supportive friend and for conspiring with Misturausu to get me listening to vocaloid songs... You have succeeded.
> 
> And a big shout out and thank you to all my readers, you are all awesome!
> 
> Anywho, stay tuned for the second half of this double release in a day and a little bit! I promise you it will be an awesome chapter and conclusion to my two shot bonus fic!


	19. Transcending skill and power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings everyone, my apologies for this being a day late. Friends had interfered with my writing schedule a little bit by being quite sudden in their social demands. It was very hard to finish this off due to the nature of the battle in this piece going on between Courtney and Cynthia. I do apologise again for the wait though, I had not intended to take this long. In anycase, it is here now.
> 
> As always, my development notes are in the end AN, along with my shoutout section, in any case though, have fun reading this weeks chapter!

_**BOOM**_.

_Holy shi-_

_**BANG**_.

A near miss yet again; Din wasn't a fast Pokemon by any means, but it couldn't afford to take an attack like that to the face in a real fight. Fortunately if the move actually landed it wouldn't affect Din at all being that it was ghost type. Still, practice in dodging and movement would be good. Speaking of practice, this was just that, and Wally wasn't even using his Gallade, but apparently that Drifloon of his had at least a portion of the training Forsythe received from the boy's grandfather. After all, how else could it even know shadowball to begin with? It was a high level move, and I half didn't expect it to already know how to do it when I suggested Wally try it. But it did  _and_ it was strong.

Two relatively big crators in the beach side were proof enough of this fact, and both were Wally's doing. When we were practising with Xavier and Din earlier he wasn't nearly as much trouble.

_This Drifloon on the other hand._

"Anastasia! Do the shadow blob thing again!"

Though he always named the attacks wrong, Drifloon picked up pretty quickly what he meant. Having progressed past gaining an understanding with his Pokemon (which happened frighteningly quick), Wally then turned his sights toward proper battle practice. It didn't take long for me to be in awe of him either, for someone so inexperienced, he held a vast amount of potential, as evidenced by his Drifloon's absurdly powerful shadow ball attacks.

_Speaking of which._

"Din, dodge it!"

We'd worked out a rhythm. Admittedly it took far longer for me and Din to get used to one another, at least compared to Wally and Anastasia; It was almost the entire day's worth of practice even. In the end though, we got there, and in the process we'd also managed to learn Wally's basic attack patterns. Though he would deviate every so often, he relied on a core attack, only switching in between to throw the opponent off. His predictability wasn't the only issue either; with each attack Wally used it only became more apparent.

_He keeps leaving himself open._

"Whismur, hit Drifloon with echoed voice!"

Most strong moves had small, yet recognisable wind up and recovery periods between each use. Shadow ball of course had brief wind down time, though for most Pokemon that window of opportunity was unusable.  _Unless_  you attacked with a projectile move.

"Drifloon move!" Wally yelled, realising I planned to retaliate from afar.

But it was no use, Din's aim was spot on. Echoed voice hit it's mark, striking Drifloon square on the face.

Or at least it would have if the move wasn't normal type.

"You got me again..." Wally spoke, clearly frustrated at having been caught out yet another time.

"Maybe, but you're getting better at it!" I shouted back across the make-shift arena.

I wasn't wrong either, it was almost scary how quickly he picked up commanding a Pokemon. It was almost like he absorbed everything I told him the second it was said. Like a sponge, he just soaked up information and then applied it with startling speed. I had to wonder why his parents would keep someone with such innate affinity for this away from battling; even if he was sick, Wally was definitely talented.

"Yeah, but Brawly is really good! I can't win like this!"

Well, straightforward attack patterns aside, that wasn't completely true. Sure Brawly would be able to read Wally's moves just fine, but actually taking a hit from them was another thing entirely. Wally's attacks were powerful, there was no doubt about that.

"Maybe Wally, but that doesn't mean you won't get better. Anyway, let's call it a day, it's already ten minutes past eleven." I told him with a smile.

Yes indeed, it was quite dark out here on the beach now, and with eleven o'clock rolling round, it was about time to hit the hay. Wally looked like he wanted to keep practising, but he didn't argue even if that was the case, instead he called back Anastasia and walked toward me.

"Alright! But let's practice even more tomorrow!"

* * *

" **Bitch!** " My opponent spat at me, apparently not satisfied at missing her last attempt.

Though her Pokemon; Yougan I think it was called, was most definitely strong, she didn't seem to be the smartest cookie of the bunch. Direct and powerful attacks  _would_  hurt a lot, but that would only be so  _if_  they landed on their intended target. Something this Magma grunt was having trouble dealing with.

"Again Yougan! Wipe that Lucario off the map!" She shouted at the top of her lungs with rage.

_How tedious. Must they always be so difficult?_

Another flame-thrower. Counting the one she fired without starting the battle proper, that made six. Add the two lava plumes to the mix and one would have a grand total of eight failed attacks. All of the attacks would hurt like crazy if they were to actually connect of course, but there was no danger in that with Lucario's foot work being what it was.

On cue and as predicted, the column of flame whizzed past Nin, who had dodged gracefully with yet another acrobatic manoeuvre.

_I'm not the only one having fun I see._

Well if I was going to be dragged into a battle, I may as well play for a bit of fun too.

"Is that all you've got? You keep trying to turn up the heat but it's been nothing but chilly since you got here." I said with a smirk.

The look on her face was worth all the effort of talking to her; a profoundly dark rage contorted her face. The woman in red appeared to be close to popping a blood vessel. Her death stare however was the only intimidating thing about her; no amount of murderous stares were going to make her any better than she was, that was a fact.

"You know what, it isn't. In fact, how about we throw the  _pig on the_ _barbecue_."

_Wha-_

" **Yougan! Spread lava plume on the floor!** "

Before I could contemplate exactly what it was that she meant, her Camerupt began spewing lava from the humps on it's back. Not in projectile form this time either, no, it was carpeting the floor with  _molten fucking lava._

"Nin! Retreat!" I shouted, slightly alarmed at the rate the burning ooze was spreading.

Withdrawing backwards in this sense was tactical, Nin had ranged attacks if need be, and almost all our movement space was coated with a molten slime so thick with heat that it was distorting the air and slowly eroding the rocky surface where Nin was originally standing. We had little room to move now, if any at all, but that wouldn't matter with singular and focused attacks being directed at us.

"Do you know what happens when a volcano erupts?" Came a strange question from my opponent, though not diminishing her malicious expression any.

"Excuse me?" I asked, perplexed by such a random query.

"People and Pokemon move out of the way of course, but I wouldn't expect an air-headed swine like yourself to know that...Yes, when a volcano goes off, there is no stopping it. The burning tide's inexorable march forward consumes everything in it's wake, reducing the very ground it treads to ashes."

The finality she added on the end of her statement combined with the now forming grin implied she was smug about something. Smug enough to think she had the upper hand apparently; this magma admin would  _definitely_  learn not to call me a swine.

"That's a great speech and all, but that has nothing to do with this battle or your imminent defeat. One more insult out of you and I might just have to stop playing around." I stated seriously, small hints of hate working their way into my speech.

"It has  _everything_  to do with this battle, witch. I'm only giving you a fair warning you see, for even volcanos have limits, and if even the smallest is too hot to handle for you, then you've no hope against the biggest."

A warning? So this was just more drivel on her part to paint her useless organisation in a positive light. Her metaphor held weight in theory, yet it was pointless when even the largest threat couldn't hope to match me.

" _Hmph._  Why would that scare me? If you call this pathetic light show you've treated me to so far an eruption then your leader musn't be all that much better. You can puff up your reputation all you want, but in the end,  _trash is still trash_."

" **You want to scorn a fair warning?** _ **Fine.**_ _"_ She began, expression contorting with even more hatred. " **Yougan,** _ **show them some**_ _ **collateral**_."

A worded response was to be my next move, just to hammer home my point, but she didn't even bother waiting. Whatever that implied command was, it was going to be big. The air around Camerupt's body rippled wildly from the heat and it appeared to be bracing itself for something...

 _ **SHWOOM**_.

Without so much as a second warning, Camerupt's humps spew forth a torrent of of magma with great force, flinging it high into the air. Some of it oozing out even more instead, in a fashion similar to a lava plume attack. It was the combined effect of this attack and it's sheer scope that had me enthralled. As the super-heated liquid hurtled towards us I realised just how massive this attack was intended to be; dodge in the air and get hit or stay on the ground and have your feet melted clean off. Even protect wouldn't work, the residual magma left behind would only end us then and there after protect wore off. All at once, the true beauty of this attack was brought front and centre.

_There's absolutely no way to avoid it..._

_**Fuc-** _

_**BOOM.** _

I coughed out the rocky dust in my lungs; the impact of the magma in the air hit with startling force, though stopping short.

_So you went with protect anyway Nin?_

We didn't have long, only thirty seconds until the barrier broke, and it's shattering would herald our end unless we did something. That grunt was far stronger than I had anticipated, in fact, with a Pokemon like that, there was no way she was just a grunt.

_To think someone like that could actually put me on the back foot._

Bruised pride could wait however, survival definitely came first. With things being what they were, there was only one way to dispel both the barrier but also remove the magma as a threat at the same time. We'd need a sudden burst of energy, something with enough force to push the consuming lava away. Yet with Nin's hands being full, that ruled out all our options.

{Master! I can't hold this for much longer, we have to act  _now!_ }

_All but one._

"Nin, I hate to do this now, but I need you to brace for  _transcendence_." I stated dead-pan.

{Wha- Surely you don't mean now?!}

"Yes.  _Now._ "

After all, there was no time left to think about this. Yes it was a marvel this woman had pushed me to this, but we had all the time to be impressed later. For now though, I pulled my arm out of my cloak and clutched my left earring. Running my finger across the eerily smooth and rainbow coloured stone embedded into it, pouring every last intention I had for victory into it.

_Willing it to act._

Then it happened.

Lucario was suddenly enveloped in a cocoon of near blinding light. Emanating such force I had to fall to the floor, holding tightly onto any hold I could get upon the rocky surface. Of course, such force pushed the slow moving liquid backward and away from us; it's insatiable hunger kept in check for the moment while the transformation moved to completion.

The look on my challengers face said it all. Though I certainly expected that she wouldn't know anything about what I'd just done, it would appear from her expression that she did indeed comprehend my current action.

"Y-you... there's just no way. No. **Fucking. _Way!_** " she shouted with shock.

"Oh, I'm afraid there is, but believe me, this isn't the only trick up my sleeve."

I said that confidently, but the truth was, I was slightly shaken. This woman would never know how much she had just pushed me. I couldn't afford to have Nin faint or worse, being that I was on an infiltration mission, Nin and Jigo were the only one's I had brought along. Jigo was still busy gathering information in the Magma hideout, so losing Nin meant losing outright. Even more than that, the fact that using transcendence defensively in this case was all the proof most trainers would need to prove they were strong. Very few had forced me to use my mega-stone, even less so to ward off an attack.

_**Pat.** _

The sound of Lucario's feet hitting the ground; his transformation was complete.

'Mega-evolution' as Steven put it was quite a useful technique, and also an intimidating one at that. It would bring out a Pokemon's full potential, in a whirling torrent of power it would surge to the surface. Even I could only stare in awe at the fruits of the whole thing. Pokemon affected by these strange stones practically emanated power; if one was close enough, you might even be able to hear the faint sound of the air immediately surrounding Nin crackling. It was utterly surreal just how powerful transcendent Ningendou was.

{Cynthia, allow me to show this woman what a real natural disaster is.}

_Heh, even your personality changes a little when you're like this Nin._

"By all means, but first, be a dear and clear away the obstacles in our way." I stated calmly, full composure finally returning to me. "Psychic."

A transcendent psychic was a sight to behold. Beforehand the max lifting weight for such a move was only something of about three to four times Ningendou's size. Under the effects of mega-evolution though? Well, one could gauge it's power from the look of disbelief on our opponents face as Lucario effortlessly lifted every last bit of the magma and flung it off the side of the mountain, without so much as moving a single muscle.

Of course, with that out of the way, we could now focus on more pressing matters. As much as I wanted to savour my opponents horror, mega-evolution only lasted ten minutes at it's maximum. That wasn't our only deadline either; if the transformation wore off and she struck with that gargantuan attack again, we would most likely die. We couldn't give her Pokemon time to recover and charge up another high-power assault like that one, no,  _it was time to take the initiative back_.

Her Pokemon had stamina and strength, but it was clear to see it lacked speed, hitting it fast was our best chance.

"Ningendou,  _show them the light."_

I felt the air rush through my hair as Lucario sped off and began to charge an aura sphere. If nothing else, this next attack would at least leave a massive crater. At least that's what I imagined would happen, given how quickly the sphere was growing in size.

"Hit it with flame thrower Yougan, don't let it fire that thing!" Shouted my opponent.

Apparently she was also aware that dodging wasn't an option here. Unfortunately for her though, that wasn't an option Nin would need either. The sphere had matured rapidly due to the amount of power it had received in such a short time, there was no need to wait long.

"Fire it!"

On command, the swirling orb composed of seemingly bluish-white fire was flung forward at startling speed.

_Cutting right through the flame-thrower in the process._

Attacking me was just the opening I needed; rather than providing cover, it had only made it easier for Nin to strike. Now, whatever chance they had of originally dodging that aura sphere had just dropped to zero. I didn't really need to see the end result of the impact to know it would be decisive, but that wouldn't diminish my amusement from it.

_**BOOM.** _

The attack struck, exploding on impact and sending a shock wave of charged air toward me, almost ruining my balance in the process. Yet I held, and decided that a sure finish would be better than speculation.

"Nin, finish this with force palm!"

This command was simple and Lucario was within running distance of the Camerupt. Though for the moment the blast had caused enough dust to rise and block our vision, I could tell from my opponents shouting that Yougan, or whatever the hell it's name was, would not go down with one move alone. I'd had fun toying with her of course but playtime was over.

A fact proven by the cry I heard soon after Nin entered said dust cloud, followed by an equally loud sound, distinct of an aura explosion, and yet another shock wave. Except this time the force pushed away the cloud entirely. Revealing an unconscious and  _heavily_  injured Camerupt, and standing before it, a proud looking Lucario, who's gaze shifted from the downed Pokemon to it's owner.

_Ahhhhh yes, we still have to capture her._

" **No fucking way! You'll pay for this dearly, you hag!** " She shouted, voice laced with rage and malice.

I could tell by her movement she was about to reach for another Pokemon to call out. Under normal circumstances I might have allowed one more round, at least out of curiosity for what it was she had in reserve to fight me with. Time was a cruel mistress however; it had already been three minutes at least. To add to that, I was on the job; I'd been too unprofessional this fight and had almost gotten myself into trouble for it. All of this was reason enough to end this while Lucario was still transcendent.

Anticipating her grasping for a Pokeball, I gave my final command of the match.

"Ningendou, restrain this woman with psychic."

I said it calmly, with finality and poise. Because this truly was the end to such an interesting match, and the end to the freedom of my equally interesting, if vulgar and terribly mannered opponent.

" **Let me go you whore!** " She yelled as she struggled against the psychic force, but to no avail.

_Yes, interrogating this one will be **highly**  entertaining_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there reader! This chapter was a little bit more action packed than the usual. Mostly because I was demonstrating some of the lore around mega evolution and also adding small details about the process and what it does/can do (I also came up with Cynthia's meg-evo item here, as well as a small HC that she doesn't refer to meg-evo as mega evolution, but rather 'transcendence'). I had fun writing out the battle sections for this piece, but I'd like to point out here and now that the main attraction will be next week's battle.
> 
> In next week's chapter, Wally and Brendan are going to have a proper battle to test what Wally has learned (not just a practice session). I will be using that to not only cover heaps of fluff, but also to show how Wally might actually battle without the psychic link. So rest assured, there will be PLENTY more of those two dorks in next week's chapter. I focused on Cynthia and Courtney this week because their section has a whole heap of details in it and it really needed it's own big segment. This is because there's a whole heap of detail that you probably don't think much of now, but is actually highly important.
> 
> There are also a few paralells that you won't be able to notice right away as well as a few obvious ones that I have drawn up between our protags practice and Cynthia/Courtney's battle together. Hopefully you guys will have fun finding those ^_^
> 
> Anyway, to the shoutout section!:
> 
> Usual shoutouts to my main buddies Mitsurausu and Luenick for their continued support and help in both keeping loverival alive and well, but also for their praise and encouragement of my writing skill. You guys are fricken awesome!
> 
> With that, I conclude this weeks chapter and I hope you guys are looking forward to the proper Wally vs Brendan fight, because I know I am! Either though, I'll apologise for my lateness and bow out until the next release day in a week. Have fun and stay safe readers!


	20. Budding potential

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there everyone! I'm here with this weeks chapter and this one is a big one. You'll notice the name of matches another chapter's name a little, and there is a reason for this plot wise. Still, this chapter is quite long and is entirely about Wally and Brendan. That's right, you will not find any Cynthia or Steven in this weeks chapter, because I decided it would be best to use this weeks to focus entirely on our two protags and their developing bond with one another.
> 
> I was quite a bit more blatant with my shipping in this chapter than the usual, and the reason for this is simple. Brendan and Wally are reaching the point where they are beginning to have feelings toward each other. Obviously given their naiveté (Wally especially) when it comes to such feelings, they won't actually know the true reason just yet.
> 
> You will see what I mean as the chapter progresses, anywho, I'd also like to mention that I will be taking a week long break. Yes, I know, I normally do update weekly, but I've been doing so for about 4-5 months now. I'm a very busy human being, with a hectic schedule, and I still find it amazing that I can output so much fiction as regularly as I do. But I'm human all the same, and I need to take a break to avoid burning myself out. For this reason, there won't be a chapter next week. Before you panic though, this is not me putting this project on hiatus. I am merely having a week long vacation and I'll be back again the following week once it's over. I know it might not be the happiest news, but it's much needed news for myself.
> 
> Either way though, I'll stop rambling and I'll let you all get to the story!

Sleep is an amazing thing, though it was something I had little time for. Resting was obviously necessary, but I had every intention of challenging Brawly again as soon as possible. Almost too soon even, for after today's training, I was going to have another shot at winning the badge.

That said, I wasn't going to risk Wally getting hurt again; if today's practice battle proved too much for him, I'd hold off. It might slow me down far more than I'd like, and truthfully it would annoy me, but I didn't want to be held responsible for him getting injured, even if it was only a mental injury. Really, I couldn't begin to imagine the pain it caused him when it happened; his scream last time was near inhuman. I didn't want to hear anything like it for the rest of my life.

One time was a single time to many.

So of course, all this in mind and even with my plan to challenge the gym tomorrow, I did have my doubts it would  _actually_  be tomorrow. After all, Wally would have to be on par, or at least just below me in skill to have a chance at beating Brawly in a fair match. That said, Wally hadn't just made a whole heap of progress yesterday, he also managed to understand the move and ability limits of both Xavier and Anastasia. The fact that he achieved it in an afternoon was astounding; he lacked co-ordination and timing, sure, but he made up for it with his understanding of his Pokemon. Compared to the usual trainer, his Pokemon were strong, and he had the uncanny nack for developing a working bond quite quickly. At least, that is what I could gather from his time interacting with Anastasia.

Of course, if nothing else, he always had Gallade to rely on.

_Not that I want him to rely on something that risky_.

I thought to myself quietly while sipping at my first cup of morning coffee, waiting for the sun to properly rise.

Yes indeed, it would be best if Gallade never had to be involved in a battle, with all it's draw backs considered, it should only ever be Wally's last resort. Even then...

"Mornin' Ruby!"

"H-Huh? Oh hey Wally. Ready for round two?" I answered on reflex, not expecting the interruption.

"Absolutely! I can't wait!" He replied, approaching the counter to make his own coffee.

On my part, it wasn't an eloquent greeting, more my attempt at making conversation after having my thoughts cut abruptly. But I didn't want to risk showing how pensive I was being, for fear of having to explain my concern. So I smiled as genuinely as I could, all I could do on such short notice.

It's not that the concern wasn't warranted. It was; Wally's parents had made me his guardian, but that wasn't the only reason for it. Though I had been hard pressed to notice it at first given how quickly I ran after my goals, lately I began realising something amiss with my feelings. Slight and momentary, but every now and then, whenever Wally was involved in anything to do with me, some kind of feeling stirred. I couldn't say what the feeling was because it baffled even me, yet it did exist.

There wasn't a name for it, as far as I knew, and there was no reason why it should even be such an indescribable kind of sensation. But whatever the hell it was, or wherever it came from, it had made me more protective than I should be over this boy. So protective in fact, that I was willing to slow down my own plans for his sake, something I thought I'd never do. This feeling made no sense to me at all.

_Just what the hell is wrong with you Brenda-_

"Ruby? Ruuuuubeeeeeee?" Came a second interruption, this time with a hand waving in front of my face.

Of course it would be the person who currently had my thoughts tangled, it wasn't going to be anybody else. Because I didn't travel with anyone else, surely that was the reason for this... emotion? Maybe it was due to Wally being the only one there... Whatever the case, I could't leave Wally hanging for my response, or he'd notice my thoughtful daze.

"Yeah?" I responded finally, bringing up my smile again.

"Are you ok? You weren't listening earlier." He answered in kind with a small degree of concern.

"I'm fine, I was just a little... zoned out, is all. It happens in the mornings."

Wally looked at me quizzically, like I'd said something confusing. It appeared that he was piecing information together, what it was exactly I couldn't tell, but it didn't stop him from asking more questions.

"You sure? You did the same thing yesterday morning too. Are you... uhhhh... thinking about home?"

Wally couldn't know how wrong he was about that right now. Home was the  _last_ place I wanted to be thinking about, especially when considering the person who would be waiting for me if I went back.

_Fuck that._

" _No_." I said, possibly more forcefully than necessary given Wally's slight flinch. "... No, I'm not." I repeated with a sigh.

"Then... W-What are you thinking about?" He asked, starting up his usual thumb twiddling habit.

_There it is._

The golden question. What was I thinking about indeed. Well, I wasn't about to answer it truthfully; what exactly was I supposed to say to that?

' _Yeah, no I've just been contemplating how much I want to keep you safe_ '

Like hell that would go down well, it might even creep him out. No, it was much better to divert the topic than to answer something like that.

"Oh, nothing important, don't mind me. Anyway, I'm going walk over to the beach now and get ready." I said, taking the final sip of coffee and placing the cup on the bench beside the sink.

As I strode out the room, determined to avoid any more difficult questions, I heard a voice behind me echo through the doorway.

"H-Hey!, Wait for me Ruby!"

Though I didn't say the next words out loud, the resonated in my mind while I walked out the hotel room.

_I've been doing just that this whole time Wally_ ,  _that's the problem._

* * *

Ruby was acting  _really_  odd lately. Ever since his loss to Brawly, he seemed distant, like losing had given him something important to think about. Yet Ruby wasn't one to stop and think for a while, he came up with plans on the spot; he liked to think on his feet. Pensive Ruby was a rare sight, but it had happened all four mornings after the loss, and it was getting longer by the day. Sure, during practice it wasn't noticeable, but while we on break, or just after waking up, it was quite evident.

Ruby was thinking about something very important to him.

The only clue is that Brawly's victory had set it off. I thought it would have been his family, or even just the what Brawly had said to him. But Ruby said nothing about Brawly since the loss, in fact it seemed his focus was elsewhere, so the obvious conclusion was family.

_Or so I thought._

Though initially I thought the slight outburst confirmed his thoughts, the following affirmative that Ruby gave was genuine. He wasn't thinking of home or family at all. Yet, this revelation left behind it's own mystery; if Ruby wasn't thinking about that, then what was he contemplating? I just didn't know, and it was frustrating to say the least. The red-eyed boy was a puzzle, an enigma at even the best of times, and one I apparently couldn't solve easily.

_But why am I so worried about knowing?_

If I was being honest, there wasn't a fully logical reason why. Whenever Ruby changed from his usual mood, whether it was him getting upset or detached, well it just felt off. It triggered concern in me, it made me worry. I wasn't sure why it did that, after all, Ruby wasn't endangering himself, or me and he didn't seem unhappy. For all intents and purposes, he was perfectly fine, if not acting a little differently from the norm. Why would it bother me enough to the point that I'd be this nosy?

I mean, I'm not a nosy person by nature, not at all. So I shouldn't want to be so involved, but... I did. I cared about Ruby, and seeing him so distant meant he was troubled by something. Even if I didn't know what it was, it didn't change the fact that it was there. Yes, whether I found out what was on his mind or not, I'd still try to help.

It was the very least I could do for all his help; friendship was the only thing I had to offer in return for all the incredible things he'd done for me, and I'd offer it whole heartedly.

I'd help him where I coul-

"Wally! You gonna call out a Pokemon or not?"

I broke from my thoughtful contemplation, landing smack-dab back into reality. Finding myself in the middle of a sunlit beach, caressed softly by the mid-day glow above, as the sound of water gushed past it's perch on the shore and floated into my ears. Breaking free of the binds of thought, I finally saw what was in front of me. Ruby and his Whismur, Din, a small distance away, across the sandy beach.

_That's right, we have a practice battle to do._

"O-Oh, S-Sorry!" I called out, slightly embarrassed for getting lost in thought.

_But what Pokemon should I use?_

A good question, I hadn't actually decided on whether to use Xavier or Anastasia first. They both need practice, but Xavier probably needed it more if I was being truthful. Ana already had a great deal of power, Xavier on the other hand, he was my weakest Pokemon right now. He also had the least determination in battle, since he didn't much like battling on the whole. Brawly wouldn't entertain that attitude however, it would only land us in hot water. In the end, I decided on my Wurmple and reluctantly I brought out Xavier's ball, clicking the button on it's middle.

The red and white orb enlarged in my hand; mechanism primed and ready.

"Come out Xavier!" I yelled, tossing the ball forward into the centre of the make-shift arena.

A flash of light and a resounding 'click' confirmed the throw was successful. Xavier was out and ready to fight.

"Wurmple!" Came an almost squeaky cry.

Xavier realised quickly where it had been called to. It was the battlefield. The arena we created by drawing lines in the sand on the beach side. In response to this realisation, my Pokemon turned it's head to me, it's eyes seemingly asking the question 'Do I have to?'

I merely nodded.

_Of course you have to, we have to get stronger._

Xavier knew I was set on it, so it just turned it's head back to the field, despite not looking impressed about his predicament. I'd have to feed him a sweet treat later for his efforts, he deserved it for the all training we'd done recently.

"Are you and Xavier ready Wally?" Ruby called out, pulling out his own Pokeball and tossing it toward the arena floor.

"Yeah, we're good to go!" I shouted back as his Pokeball hit the floor, revealing Din, Ruby's Whismur.

He looked at me, like he was evaluating the validity of that statement. Seemingly satisfied with whatever he was looking for, Ruby gave a smirk.

"Good, because I'm not going to hold back this time! Consider this a test!"

_A test?!_

"What do you mean a tes-!"

"Din, use echoed voice!" Ruby interrupted with a loud yell.

_He's serious!_

I didn't have time to ask questions, Ruby wasn't going to listen, and apparently this was a test. If that's the case, the only option left was for me to respond in kind.

_Alright, if that's the way he wants it._

"Xavier, dodge and get closer!"

Simple and plain, easily followed. A command like that wasn't advanced, but I knew Xavier's skill set well, and it wasn't vast. Using string shot into the echoed voice would work too well, but getting closer for a tackle, or just better aim might turn out better.

True to my command, Wurmple avoided the sound wave as it hit the beach floor behind it with a fairly audible bang. Continuing forward all the while, gaining ground on our opponent.

_Ruby's probably going to try another echoed voice._

"Din, another echo voi-!"

"Wurmple, string shot!" I interrupted quickly, anticipating his move.

Timing was everything, there was a wind-up period to an echo voice attack and it was small, so interrupting the command before it was given would ensure string shot hit just before then. That was the plan anyway and it looked like it worked, though Whismur still charged up another echo voice anyway and fired. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to call for the dodge, so it was all Wurmple at this point.

_**BANG**_.

_Another small crater in the beach side._

It took a second for the dust to disperse, but to my relief, Wurmple emerged from it, clearly having dodged that attack without needing help. Even better that Whismur couldn't move any more, which was ironic, since Ruby was the one who showed me the strategy I decided to use.

Which made the disbelieving look he gave me all the sweeter.

_**Yes** , this was your idea, and  **yes** , you fell for it_.

I thought to myself, returning the look with the smirk.

"Alright Xavier, He can't move so tackle Whismur with everything you've got!" I shouted, growing more confident by the second.

Unlike Brawly, Ruby didn't seem intimidating or imposing. Confidence was easier to come by, easier to justify in this situation. Especially when my first execution of this strategy was working out amazingly well.

Yes, despite Ruby's frantic yelling, Din couldn't break free of it's bindings, and instead began to prepare for another echoed voice. But it was too late, Wurmple was already upon it; poised to attack. It was  _incredibly_  satisfying to see the look on Ruby's face as the tackle struck.

_**Thwack**_.

Shock, surprise, possibly even a hint of annoyance thrown in for good measure. Ruby's face was a mix of emotions, a mix that intensified as the tackle pushed Whismur with enough force to break the string shot bonds. A clear and powerful hit, apparently not something Ruby had expected me to do right away.

If this was a test, I was probably passing with flying colours right now.

"Whismur, use screech!" He shouted, seemingly in answer to thoughts he couldn't possibly hear.

_Oops._

In my haste to tackle him, I'd momentarily forgotten about ordering Xavier to back off after the move, the poor worm Pokemon was in the prime range for being disorientated through the soundwaves a Whismur could generate. There was no time to make up for this mistake, I could only cover my ears as shrill shrieking resonated across the beach. The sudden noise had two effects, not only did it startle Xavier to the point of falling side-ways, it also hit it's hearing canal, causing it's attempts at getting up to be sloppy and off balance.

"We'll see how you react with the tables turned! Din, use pound!"

This wasn't good, Wurmple was disorientated and Whismur was closing in fast. Trying to fire another string shot in this position wouldn't help at all. Unless...

_It's a long shot, but it's all I've got!_

"Xavier, fire a string shot at the ground around you!"

It was simple, point blank aiming would be fine, trying to attack Whismur with it for the short time that Wurmple was disorientated wouldn't help though. Yet, Ruby had chosen to go for a physical contact attack. Why aim for his Pokemon when I could cover the ground with it instead, halting it's charge toward Wurmple.

Though it's execution was still messy, Wurmple did as I asked and coated the ground around itself in sticky string. Effectively creating a short term barrier between him and the Whismur, because if it stepped on the string it would most certainly be trapped again. Ruby knew this, and immediately acted to prevent it.

" **Din, stop!** " He began, finally noticing his dilema.

Though I knew it would only buy me a few precious seconds since Ruby would obviously switch to a ranged vocal attack, those were seconds I could use. Screech's effects, even at close range, didn't last long. The longer time dragged on, the more the effect would wane, and hopefully those few extra seconds would help Wurmple to gather it's bearings and dodge any follow up attack.

"Din, use echoed voice again!"

_There it is!_

"Xavier, dodge it!" I shouted, steeling for the impact out of force of habit from my usual psychic-link style of battling.

Xavier tried it's best, but in the end, it wasn't quick enough, it took the echoed voice and was flung backwards a couple of metres from the force of it. It wasn't out for the count by any means, but I could tell that bearing the brunt of that move had hurt pretty bad. Wurmple wasn't a sturdy Pokemon, so it wasn't likely that it could withstand more than another two of those attacks. Fortunately, the force of the knock-back had shaken the dizziness from Wurmple's system; it could move properly again.

Still, considering all the damage echoed voice did, pound would have hurt more, so stopping it earlier hadn't been a complete waste.

_We still have to win quickly though._

Yes indeed, this was a test, and in order to pass, I would have to win as swiftly as I could. Ruby's experience far eclipsed mine, even if he hadn't worked with Din enough beforehand, he would still win a prolonged bout. With in-action or passivity being the losing move, the only choice left was crystal clear.

_To win, I had to attack._

I took a sharp breath in, making a note of Ruby's face; he appeared confident, he probably felt he had the advantage. Not for long though; I might not be the best battler in the world, but I'd at least show my travelling companion that I was capable with my next move.

"Xavier, use tackle!" I cried out, the edges of my mouth curling into a smile, subtly hinting at my plan.

My Pokemon rushed towards his target on cue, but a simple frontal assault was just a cover here, and I knew exactly how my opponent would react to it.

Ruby wouldn't dodge this. Whenever Ruby battled he was always trying to take the initiative, never once wanting to be in a defensive position if he could help it. For this reason, I could count on him dealing with this more directly than I would expect of Brawly. Ruby would attack with a ranged sonic attack; rather than avoid Xavier, he'd cancel out his attack with one of his own. Exactly what I wanted to happen.

_It didn't take long either._

"Din, drive it back with another echoed voice!"

_Now's my chance!_

"Xavier, cancel the tackle and side-step that attack!"

Had Ruby chosen pound, or another physical move, he would have closed the distance too fast for me to respond, but since he opted for the ranged blow, Wurmple still had room to dodge before being hit. A fact I intended to abuse.

Though it came close to impact again, Xavier dodged it this time around and was now in a prime position to hit Ruby's Whismur while it winded down from that attack.

" **Xavier, string shot now!** " I shouted with triumph and glee.

While my Pokemon showered my opponent in sticky immobilizing string, I took the time to take in Ruby's expression. He'd expected me to use his tactic again, but he clearly didn't expect me to hide it behind an attack this time. Though a trainer of his ability shouldn't normally fall for something like that, I had a feeling from our practice yesterday that he was underestimating my current ability just a little. Which was fine, because now I'd educate him on the matter.

"Alright Xavier!  _Put all your strength into this next attack!_ "

_This is it, victory was certain now._

It was all I could do really, just watching the fight conclude, overjoyed couldn't even begin to descri-

" _ **Din, use your ears to guard yourself!**_ _"_

_What?!_

But it was too late, I'd not factored in Ruby's defensive use of Din's ears. The tackle connected with a dull thud, but Whismur barely budged, despite it's ear's baring the full weight of that attack. It must have hurt a lot and it should've been the winning move, Yet, because I didn't anticipate my opponents resourcefulness, the attack failed to attain the finality I had in mind.

_It also left Wurmple directly in front of Whismur._

" **Y-You need to g-get out of there Xavier!** "

The tactic had thrown me off my balance mentally, for a moment I was left in a state of shock, contemplating all the ways I could replicate the opportunity I created for an attack earlier.

I needn't have bothered.

"Din, hit it with one more echoed voice!" Was Ruby's victorious cry.

There wasn't anything I could do to stop it either, I watched helplessly as Whismur bellowed out one final sonic attack, hitting my Wurmple at point blank range and sending it flying backwards. Though I still wanted to win, that attack was vicious to say the least, my worry for losing immediately switched to a worry for Xavier's welfare.

" **A-Are you ok Wurmple?!** " I shouted anxiously.

The poor thing was covered in scratches from having been pushed through the dirt by the force of that move, and even from here, it looked like it was struggling to stand. My Pokemon was tired, and I'd made another mistake yet again. There was no way in hell Ruby would let me get close again, I'd have to strike while Whismur was still caught in the string from earlier.

_I have to do someth_ -

A blinding light flashed across the beach side, glimmering against the mid-day tides and interrupting my train of thought. Wurmple began to glow brilliantly, shocking me, Ruby and Whismur into stillness. Only moments ago it was ragged and exhausted, and now...

"Wally, Xavier is evolving!" Shouted Ruby, who quickly ran across the sand to my Pokemon who was now pulsing with light and changing shape.

I followed suit quickly, despite being enchanted by how pretty it looked. I'd never seen a Pokemon evolve before. I'd heard about it sure, from TV and from grandpa, but I'd never actually seen it in person myself.

The warm sand squashed beneath my shoeless feet as I broke into a stride, swiftly closing in on my now evolving Pokemon. Yet despite my concern for Xavier and what was happening to him, I could only utter a single word on the way there.

" _Beautiful..._ "

* * *

Wally was... incredible.

He picked up on battling so fast it wasn't even funny. I'd originally growled at myself internally for being deceived by the strategy that I taught him. But he'd improvised and went further with it than I originally intended. I never thought he'd come up with a feint and go for immobilizing me, I honestly believed he'd be as straight-forward as he usually was. Sure it wasn't exactly a grand strategy; he obviously couldn't use it twice, yet it still worked. I found myself impressed at his attempt for victory, despite how much I really wanted to win.

This battle was intended to be a test of his skill, not just practice. A way for me to ascertain how much of what I taught him yesterday actually stuck. Obviously, some things I couldn't judge, the beach was a smooth surface after all, so there was no way to tell how he'd fair in a battlefield where obstacles could be expected. He could however give good commands now, and he even used my choices of attacks against me. Though his options were still relatively cut and dry, it was a start. Wally learned a lot, and today he proved it by almost flooring me in a fight.

Granted, Din and I hadn't worked together too much until yesterday, so we weren't exactly well prepared, but it was still an achievement for Wally to push us so far. For someone who only just recently learned how to fight like a normal trainer, his progress was nothing short of brilliant.

Barring even that though, his most marked improvement was his conviction. I wasn't sure how a pyschic link worked, but I could assume it gave him confidence in a fight, because without it, he'd flopped in his match with Brawly. Yet now, he was showing at least some degree of that determination without having to resort to Forsythe. I could only hope this slight attitude adjustment would stay when he fought with the gym leader tomorrow.

To add to his list of achievements, today he'd gone through another first experience; Xavier evolved. I expected as much myself, given that bug types usually had quick growth rates, but I didn't think his Wurmple would be so close to it.

Truth be told, it was almost a shame that such an event had interrupted the conclusion to our fight, a conclusion I found myself eager for. There was little that could be done about it now though. It happened, and our fight came to a close, and with it's ending my own conclusion followed suit.

As his Pokemon flashed brilliantly, radiating an intense white light, I decided that he was ready. Though it would still be a rough match up, if Wally could push me that far, then he would be perfectly fine battling Brawly. I had no doubts he would have a fair shot at winning now.

For some odd reason, this caused me joy. To Wally it must have appeared that I was just happy Wurmple was evolving, yet truthfully it was a lot more than that.

_It's pride._

That's what I felt, no mistake about it. I was proud of him, plain and simple. This pride caused me to grin like an idiot, the smile amplified by his own joy as he shouted out of happiness, grateful for Wurmple's evolution. Wally's soft face held nothing but cheer, and that cheer was infectious. Seeing him so happy only made me all the happier myself, but that wasn't all.

I didn't know how, but seeing him like this stirred the very same emotion I felt earlier in the morning of the day. It was a calm but warm feeling; like a tiny echo in my chest it resonated, causing my stomach to flitter a little in the process. On it's travels through my body, the feeling mixed with my pride, and also my surprise.

Yet it remained distinct from both of them.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

A good question, after all, why was I even feeling like this? What was it about Wally being so happy that enchanted me so? What was the reason, the force behind his smile that caused my chest to heat up like that?

I didn't have a name for the emotion, and it only baffled me more every time I tried to identify it, or it's source. In the end though, what saved me from this spiral of thought wasn't a much needed answer about the feeling's cause, but rather Wally himself.

"Ruby look!" He spoke up finally, walking over to the now dim and fading light on the ground just before us.

_The evolution finished?_

I watched from where I stood, as the pulsing light finally petered out, leaving behind an oval shaped body that was purple in hue. Wurmple had apparently turned into a Cascoon. A Cascoon Wally promptly lifted from the ground and cradled in his arm's. Turning to face me, He spoke up again, face still lit up with the joy that plucked at my own emotions in such a way that I could only smile dumbly back.

"Look! Xavier evolved! I don't really know what he evolved into... but he evolved!" Wally beamed.

I supposed I should answer that; give him a name for the Pokemon he was holding. That didn't mean the answer would come easy, since I was still trying to understand my own head-space as I spoke.

"It's a Cascoon Wally. You can tell by the purple silk membrane around it's body." I blurted out, not as gracefully as I normally would.

"Cascoon? Hmmmm... I wonder what Xavier can do in this form..."

"Not a lot, he won't be able to move around as quick as before because he's gathering energy for evolution. He probably won't learn any new moves until then either." I stated, finally reforming my mental calm.

Only to have it dragged down when Wally's cheer diminished from hearing such information. I could practically feel his smile drop clean of his face.

"O-Oh... So Xavier can't battle any more?" He asked, smile gradually, but surely fading.

I'd managed to say something that ruined the moment, and as a result a familiar emotion greeted me. Guilt was it's name, and unlike the previous feeling, I knew it well.

"Not at the moment, but don't worry!" I responded quickly, trying to repair my mistake. "Cascoon will likely evolve again before you know it, Wurmple's species does have one of the quickest evolutionary path's around after all. I wouldn't be surprised if it was done within the week."

I wasn't lying, since I didn't want to add to my already long list of deceit. Truth, as rare as it is, was the only thing I had said. Which was good, because Wally cheered up after I finished talking; apparently I managed to ease the news.

"Only a week?! W-Wow... Xavier I can't wait! I bet you'll evolve into an amazing Pokemon!" Wally beamed once more, hugging Xavier tightly, keeping the Pokemon close to his chest.

Like an arrow, Wally's sudden onset of a warm smile hit my emotions again. I needed time to understand whatever this feeling was, and we both needed a break; Exactly the reason for my next decision.

"Wally, we should head back. Din's ears are still injured." I pointed at the quiet Pokemon beside me, who had stayed silent throughout this whole thing. "Plus, your Cascoon is probably still hurting a bit too." I finished plainly.

"Oh right! You've got a good point Ruby, a break would be pretty good right about now."

_He can say that again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! Welcome to the notes section, and this week we will be discussing my reasons for portraying my protags the way I did here.
> 
> The obvious thing you'll notice is how much more blatant my shipping is here. Normally I operate on a slow burn and I don't usually elaborate as much as I did here. The reason why I went further than usual this week is because this sets up very nicely as both foreshadowing and a back drop for what I plan to do with the slateport arc that's coming up. While I can't say too much, I will say that my story is very close to really picking up it's pace and getting the ball rolling. A lot of pieces will come together for the first 'plot-fall' which will happen in (you guessed it) slateport, alongside all the shipping I have planned. With all that said though, I also took this chapter as a primary focus on our protags because I wanted to highlight Wally's talent and how much he actually managed to pick up from Brendan. Obviously, there's still a tonne for him to learn, but they are only at the second gym, and Brendan has to grow with him as well on this journey. Naturally, it won't be long before they are teaching one another, instead of Brendan just teaching Wally. I'm quite excited for the future due to the reasons stated above, and I'm quite happy with where this fic is going. Still though, with the advent of chapter 20, I'd like to repeat what I said in the beginning notes, as it is important.
> 
> I will be taking a short break. Don't worry, it will only be a week, and I am taking it to avoid burning myself out, but I will be doing it. I do apologise for making you all wait two weeks for the next chapter, but at this point I really need it.
> 
> Anyway, to the shoutouts!:
> 
> Obviously I'll be shouting out to Mitsurausu and Luenick for their support and encouragement, and also their insistence that I take break. I really did need to take a quick breather, and both of you were supportive of this, so thank you.
> 
> Anyway, I'll bow out for now. Stay safe readers! I'll see you all in two weeks time for my next chapter!


	21. Hints of the future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! I hope you all had fun while I was on break! Personally I had a lot of fun (I spent most of my break watching Steven universe; which is amazing by the way, and practising my drawing skills). Either way though, I'm back now, and on time for another release. Don't worry either, I will continue my weekly schedule as normal from this point, until such a time as I need another break (not very likely to happen any time soon).
> 
> So with that in mind, I'll just say that it's great to be back and I have yet another chapter for you all. Also yes, this chapter title hints at many things, including what occurs in this chapter and beyond. That said, I'd also like to state that I love feed back on this story! I know it's gotten quite big now, but if any of my readers like or dislike an aspect, or just have general mechanical advice for writing (such as grammar and the like) please do let me know! Criticism lets me improve, and extension, this whole fic improves for everyone who reads it, so don't be shy!
> 
> Anywho, as always, chapter dev notes are at the bottom, along with shoutouts/guest review replies. Cheers for sticking around everyone and I hope you enjoy the next instalment in this story!

"So, going to speak up? I mean, we have all day, might as well indulge in a nice chat don't you think?"

_**Spoot** _

"Go drown in lava you bitch!" I growled after spitting at the supposed champion.

Even looking down on me though, she was still a cow. Champion of whores was more fitting than the 'champion of Sinnoh'. Cynthia or whatever her name was wouldn't get an answer out of me. Giving me a glare for spitting at her wouldn't make me anymore inclined to speak with her either, what did she even expect anyway? Red carpet and a fucking welcoming committee?

"If you think I'm going to tell you shit, you can think again. I don't have anything to say to you." I said, taking care that my reply was coated with as much bitterness as possible.

Her annoyed gaze intensified, her mouth tugging into a barely visible scowl.

"Oh you'll talk alright. Believe me, I've been patient with you so far, I even gave you a night's rest before I bothered to interrogate you. If I have to do things the hard way,  _I will_." She spoke, menace just barely seeping in.

Did she think mock-restraint and the 'I went easy on you' routine would work on me, an accomplished magma admin?

"Are you stupid, deaf or both?" I asked, smirking just a tiny bit.

She was just a usual member of law enforcement, champion or not. Unlike us, she had to deal with laws and regulations. There wasn't a thing she could do while being constrained like that, looks alone don't kill, so she wouldn't get a word out of me like this.

"Excuse me?"

"Well either you didn't hear me, or you didn't understand what I said earlier. I'm not fucking talking, I don't care how intimidating you think you are, you're just a-"

A sharp pain shot through my gut; I felt winded, my stomach pulsating with a pointed ache. She'd kicked me,  _with her heels on_.

"Agh! F-Fuck you!"

I spat again while clutching at my stomach in vain, my instinctive movements cut short by the bindings on my hands and arms. With them being tied behind my back I was left to writhe in pain on the ground.

" _Listen._  Interrogation isn't usually my job, but, I'm not going to ask you to co-operate again. If you don't speak up, my other heel will end up becoming a close aquintance with your face. I'll have you know those things are expensive and I'd rather  _not_  break them on your nose, but if I have to  _I will_."

 _She was serious_.

I had to get out of here. This woman wasn't the run of the mill law enforcement loser, she didn't have a problem abusing her prisoner if it got her what she wanted. If her speech earlier on in our battle was to be believed and she was in fact the Contessa of Interpol, then she could even get away with it. A fact that she was clearly aware of apparently. I wasn't safe at all, Cynthia meant business. In between the pain I felt a small pang of respect, this was a woman who knew how to act. Like hell I'd admit that too her though, after all, a cow with attitude is still just livestock. That said, I'd be in world trouble if I had to stay here for too long.

_I have to get out of here._

There was no way for me to leave like this though. Even if my bonds were cut, I'd still be at the mercy of her and her Pokemon. Running without help would get me no where fast. If I wanted to escape, I needed to call for help.

Yet, while bound, even that was impossible. If I could reach the black horn on my magma jacket's hood, I'd be able to squeeze it and activate the emergency beacon inside. That would alert everyone at our base nearby and they'd be able to save me. As it was though, that was impossible, unless...

"Fine." I whispered.

I'd have to give up some of my pride and talk for this, but I'd at least give her information on our rival organisation, that'd be easier than spilling the beans on our operation. If anything, that would buy me a ticket out of here and put a cog in our enemies plans all in one.

" _What?_ "

Looking at it this way, it might have actually been to my favour in getting caught. Silver linings aside though, that would only occur if I could actually talk my way through it; I'd have to bite down on my...  _informal_  language for now.

"I'll talk... Undo the binds on my arms and hands, then I'll tell you everything."

It was risky to open up with such a demand, even more so for my sudden change in demeanour, but it had to be done for the sake of getting out of here. Not gambling on the pay-off meant losing anyway.

"You think that I'm actually going to untie your binds? You aren't in any position to be asking for anything here,  _I make the rules_. You are  _my_  prisoner." Cynthia stated deadpan.

Though it was a cold response, her gaze did soften, she was considering it.

"Look, you and I both know that I can't do anything to get away from you, even with my hands free. You still have Lucario's psychic to stop me despite the bindings. My arms are sore and my hands aren't doing much better chafing against the rope, cut it loose and I promise I'll talk."

I was calm, but I gave a look of obvious rage. Though I needed to co-operate, that didn't mean I couldn't be mad at this bitch for what she did to me.

"That may be true, but why the sudden change of heart?" She asked, looking more in favour of the idea now.

"Well that's simple, maybe it's because I don't want to get kicked  _in the fucking face_   _with stiletto heels!_ "

I may have shouted that a bit loudly, but that was more than likely due to it being the first truthful thing out of my mouth the moment I tried to strike this deal. I really didn't want to take a kick to the face. It was injustice really, the world deserved my beautiful visage, at least as relief from this cow's ugly mug, there was no way I could let her take one of my eyes out with those heels of her's.

Still, after a brief period of silence, she nodded.

"Fine. But if you make any attempt to escape, the next kick is to the face. Are we clear?" She said with a serious face.

" _Clear as day_." I responded through gritted teeth.

Cynthia took that response for face value, and undid the bonds around my hands and arms, taking care not to get caught out by any sudden movement I could make in defence.

_She's good._

But I didn't have the time, nor the desire to admire her handiwork. The minute she pulled away from me, I did a mock movement to pull my hood down, making sure to squeeze the black horn at the top while doing so. Effectively, this masked the movement, and I felt the tactile push of the button against my finger. The beacon was active now, all I had to do was wait.

"Ahhh, much better."

It could take anywhere between ten and thirty minutes for a team to arrive, even with my admin status, I'd have to distract her until then. I'd start by giving enemy information and stalling; the less I gave about our organisation, the better.

"Start talking."

Well she wasn't wasting any fucking time.

"Fine. I'll begin by giving you some gossip on aqua." I answered, trying to seem compliant.

"What? Why would you do that? I need to hear about your operations first, don't think you can worm your way out o-"

" _Look._  I know you're searching for aqua as well, and I know you want information on us. But I also know I have no way of getting away from you, so if I'm going down, at least give me the satisfaction of taking someone with me." I told her a tad defiantly.

Again she pondered, trying to uncover any ruse that she suspected was going on. She obviously didn't think hard on it though, because all I got in response was a nod. Not that I was surprised really, the simple fact of the matter was that I was far too smart, and she was far too stupid. That's all there was to it.

"Well then, let's here it." Cynthia spoke, breaking the small period of silence between us.

Fucking Arceus this bitch was pushy, if I still had Yougan out I'd fry her to a crisp for this mistreatme-

" _Now._ " She spoke again, this time more commanding.

_Arceus dammit._

I couldn't catch a break here, time wasting just was not going to happen.

"Ok, ok. I'll start with the little we know about them. We've been looking into them ever since they spilt off from our previous group. They've managed to keep our spies on their toes and they always seem to be a step ahead..."

"So you don't  _actually_  have information on them then?" She began, her expression becoming menacing again.

"No! We do, but only the old information we had on them before they went underground; before they abandoned their new hideout." I answered, trying to keep her calm enough to not kick me again.

"They abandoned it? But our information suggest they are still there!" Cynthia asked, quite genuinely surprised.

"Oh yeah? And how old  _is_  your information exactly? Because our's is barely a week old."

I said that half expecting her to correct me, but the look on her face suggested that she didn't know this at all. Which in turn suggested that all the information she actually had on both our groups was aged. I managed to stun her into silence; a pensive, almost angry looking silence.

_Perfect._

I could use this against her, I could get away with giving her information on aqua all day if she wasn't up to speed.

"Well, since you've apparently been kept out of the loop, I suppose I should start with where we know they are headed..."

I deliberately hung on that sentence, all I had to do was rope her in, tantalize her with information just out of reach. By keeping her in suspense, I bought more time without actually doing anything. This plan was genius, and in the next twenty minutes or so, Cynthia would find out why. But for now, I had to play the act through gritted teeth.

"Where? What are they planning?"

_Hook, line and sinker._

"We aren't entirely sure what their plan is."

I began with a lie, Aqua's plan was similar to ours, but I couldn't let her know that.

"But, I do know of their next destination. Of course, with them being so secretive, I wouldn't have a clue where they'd end up next, so if you plan to catch them you should probably hurry with it. You still have almost week before they commence their next operation." I finished, a smirk forming slowly on my face.

"What operation? Stop trying to speak cryptically, or I'll tie you up again. Answer me directly: Where are they going to commence this operation?"

Straightforward and to the point, she wasn't letting me get away with much.

I sighed. There wasn't anything for it, stalling was barely working, I'd have to give at least some information to look genuine. In that sense, she was less stupid than I originally thought; still as dull as charcoal though.

"Slateport." I told her, almost whispering.

"Excuse me?" She answered, raising her eyebrows and her voice.

"They are going to commence their next operation in Slateport in just under a week's time. We still aren't sure what they are looking for there, but that's where a vast majority of their team will be."

She looked at me sideways, as if asking me the questions 'how' and 'why'. But she'd have to voice those, I wasn't going to just hand her information so easily, I had time to kill after all.

"Do you know their command structure? Is there anything you can tell me about how they operate?" Cynthia asked, curious for this information now.

It was another direct question too, but if I kept leading her down a winding trail with these, she wouldn't have much information on magma at all. At best, my rescue party would capture her, at worst she'd learn nothing about us. Either way, I was confident my plan was working.

"Yes. But it could take a while to explain..." I told her.

"That's fine, we have all day to talk."

It took every ounce of willpower I had ever possessed to not crack up with laughter at her for that.

_You have no idea how wrong you are... Cynthia._

* * *

The morning began like all other mornings on this island. Wally came bounding into the kitchen as I had my morning coffee, apparently he was craving toast this time around, as opposed to the left over soufflé or hot chocolate of previous days. That said, I was glad for his energy today, because he wasn't the only one prepared for the day ahead.

I informed him after our training last night of my plan for the day. Initially Wally was shocked to find I intended to take on the gym leader so soon, but he quickly got on board with the idea. Though he was subtle and reserved, it was still easy to tell when he was excited to do something. Perhaps too easy; I'd noticed that I was paying too much attention to Wally lately for reasons I couldn't put a name too. I cared too much, and I knew that.

It was perplexing and also quite aggravating. After all, it'd be nice to at least have a name for whatever the feeling was, yet the only name I could think of would be...

_No._

It couldn't be that. Wally was a boy, there was no way in hell  _that_  was what I happened to be feeling... Was it?

I shook my head.

Clearly I was just having an off day or two. It was a silly idea for me to even consider, who in their right mind would think tha-

"You ready for today's challenge Ruby?" Came a small but audible question from my left.

Just like that, my heart jumped up a fraction in my chest.

_Even hearing him speak sets me off._

I couldn't show him this, I wouldn't let Wally see me acting weird around him. Things were bad enough as it was, I didn't need the journey to become awkward before it even properly began.

"Yes Wally, I'm ready. I'll meet you in the lobby ok?" I spoke, trying to understand what was going on in my head.

He merely nodded at me and walked off, still very much excited for the battle he was in for today. I was too, if I was being fair, I just had other things on my mind. Lately said things were growing more prominent. Yet despite that, I still didn't understand any of it and it was affecting my mood negatively as a result.

I downed my coffee as quickly as I could; there'd be plenty of time for me to worry about it later. Victory came first, and Brawly wasn't going to beat me a second time. One way or another, Dewford's badge would be mine. After that, it was onto Slateport, and I'd move a step closer to the league. Yes indeed, even with everything I had to consider lately, the reality was quite simple.

_It was only a matter of time._

* * *

"Arceus fucking dammit..." I whispered disdainfully into the chilled morning air.

A full day had passed since my sojourn into the depths of the Aqua hideout. An entire twenty-four-and-something hours since the simple, yet bleak and aggravating discovery that said base was abandoned. In my anger-tipped zeal, I combed the complex top to bottom for hours, even after deducing it's forlorn condition devoid of activity, both human and Pokemon alike. I didn't allow for rest at all, in fact I'd stayed up into the early hours of the morning yesterday doing a thorough search of the place. All so I could find something; a scrap, or even just a shred of evidence that would hint at the location of my target.

_No such luck._

Like everything else lately, the search had been fruitless. Nothing more than a merry-go-round of frustration; another trophy of failure added to the pile.

I'd made no real headway in pinning down either Team Aqua or the brat I was looking for.

I could point to where they had been, maybe even shown how they got there if I tried. Yet neither thread continued; until such a time as more evidence presented itself, I was at a dead end. The best I had managed was the ability to track the brat via challenges; Team Aqua's only lead was also similarly small, the only information of any real worth were some documents in their base referencing a meteorite and an orb. Alongside this was some paperwork involving what appeared to be a nonsensical map of the ocean. In the end, I couldn't make heads or tails of it, so I tucked it away for later.

The whole experience left me irritated and deflated. My anger had petered out, given way to frustration and thus opened the door for general malaise.

I messaged Cynthia and sent my findings, yet she hadn't replied. Strange, given her usual attention to detail and punctuality. Whatever she was doing that had her so busy, it would have been quite important for her to outright ignore work related messages. Her apparent disappearance only soured my mood further. For the first time in a while, I felt directionless.

Alone in Lilycove, and without much to work on, I was left to stew on my own internal monologue. The effect of such an action on my mental state was profound. After getting up at two in the afternoon yesterday, I'd only briefly bothered to care about both of my targets before I gave way to frustration induced apathy.

_Or so I thought._

In an effort to ease my mind, I'd checked on the challenge status of Brendan at dinner time the previous day. Truthfully, I'd been so busy with Team Aqua that I'd forgotten about checking it every so often, but eventually the thought crossed my mind. Despite this, I almost lept right out of my gloomy, listless mood the moment I saw it had in fact been updated.

_Brendan had challenged Brawly._

It had been late at night that this new information was presented. Though it didn't speak of direct developments, since apparently I had missed the challenge by a day, it did say one thing in particular that made my job easier.

Either that brat was located on Dewford right now, or he was about make for Slateport relatively soon. Which also had the added benefit of him moving closer to Mauville, the place I felt it best to capture him. An immediate hand over to Cassandra would be ideal and would involve less work for me. Or even just an intercept at Slateport, if I got the chance, as that would also work in my favour.

In the beginning I sought to find and capture him immediately, but after having the Team Aqua case jump in front of me, the best possible course of action was to snipe my prey in it's home habitat or at least somewhere close by. Or so it occurred to me as I lay here in my hotel bed, both irate and cold from the morning chill.

"Fucking cold again..." I muttered once more, breaking the silence of the room and my half dreaming state.

The day was already miserable, never mind what I was thinking. Raindrops pattered on my bedroom window, their seemingly dissimilar strikes upon the glass surface giving off a distinct sound, a sound I was slowly becoming more aware to. Combined with the cold air, it only served to sour my currently forming mood.

Lazily, I picked up my Poke-Nav expecting to see the message from Cynthia I'd been waiting for.

_Still nothing._

I remarked inwardly with distaste. Cynthia never kept anyone waiting,  _ever._  Either she thought I was beneath her basic regard for human contact, or she was in trouble. If I was being honest, I would more than likely say the former, given that Cynthia never really believed in me to begin with.

_Fine._

If Cynthia wasn't going to give me direction on my next move, or even acknowledgement of my lack of information on Aqua, then I'd take it as 'unsaid' time off. I was sick of running after people anyway, and if Cynthia tried to deny me this small comfort of an extra day off, then I could remind her of how she took the whole day (so far) to even reply.

_Though that does raise the question of what to do._

I pondered as I got out of bed, pulling my clothes from the night before out of the dresser and donning them again.

"What indeed..." I spoke to no one in particular, my voice barely breaking apart the murmur of the rain outside.

Well, there wasn't a great deal to do in Lilycove, but if I was to take a small day for myself while I waited for Cynthia's next order there was  _one_  place I did want to go. It would only be an hour or so worth of flight time too, even with this weather.

Yes, now that I thought about it,  _that_  was exactly what was on today's agenda.

Once I finished dressing up, and finalising my plan, I set about putting it all into motion. Leaving it a surprise certainly would have been fun, but right now I just wanted the simplest of things. Nothing more than reassurance, a reminder of what I was working so hard to keep. With that in mind, and my will solidifying, I picked up my PokeNav and pulled up one of my favourited contacts.

I held it to my ear, waiting somewhat patiently for the other person to pick up.

_Come on, answer! Please don't be in a gym batt-_

"Steven?"

_Finally._

"Yes, that would be my name." I remarked with a hint of mirth.

The person on the other end of the line merely chuckled, the sound of which caused a small rise of butterflies in my stomach, the way it always did.

"Well, forgive me, I may have forgotten it since last time." They began, replying in jest. "Anyway, why did you call me so early darling? Isn't ten in the morning a bit much for your usual sleeping habits?"

A good question. My sleep schedule had been interrupted quite badly from all of my recent obligations, though the only one this person needed to know about was the Aqua related problems. Cassie's missing brat would have to be my secret and my secret alone.

"Usually yes, but not today. I was just calling to let you know that I'm coming to visit today." I said, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

Though initially I was met with silence, my ear drums were assaulted seconds after by the response to that statement.

"Really?! Oh I can't wait; It's been nearly two weeks!"

Apparently they were just as keen for this as I was, though I wasn't surprised in the least.

"I know, I've been really busy lately, s-sorry." I said, faltering just a little, knowing half the reason why I'd taken so long to call.

"It's fine darling, don't worry about it! I'll prepare some food for when you get here! Speaking of which actually ... When do you get here?" They asked quizzically.

"I'll be little over an hour actually, I won't be long."

"Excellent! You'll be in time for lunch at least then! Alright love, I'll let you get a move on."

"Thanks... Oh, and Wallace..." I began, wait for his reply first.

"What Steven?" He asked on cue.

" _I love you._ "

Though the answer was cheesy, and most definitely plain, I still meant every bit of those three words. Wallace was one of the few human beings left that I could confide in. I suppose, in that sense, it was only natural that I ended up with him. Wallace was just so...  _sincere._

"I love you too, but how about I show you that instead when you get here?" Wallace replied with a hint of amusement.

And playful too. Wallace was equal parts caring and humorous; he always managed to find joy where I couldn't and it did wonders for my mood. No surprise then that my response to his quip was more light-hearted than usual.

"Deal. See you soon Wallace." I spoke hastily, smile now blatantly evident on my lips.

"Quite." He started; I could practically hear the smirk on his face. "See you soon Steven!" He said with cheer.

"Yeah, bye Wallace." I replied, clicking the red button on the screen and ending the call.

_I can't wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was that reader? It might not seem to eventful from an action standpoint, but a lot of information has been presented, new and old in this chapter. Let's just say I'm building for the Slateport arc, and also the second battle between our two nerds and Brawly. The battle itself will be amazing, and I'll be using it to showcase Wally's potential, as well as the fact that Brendan may have learned a lesson or two since his last attempt.
> 
> It might seem quite soon, but that's just how Brendan is. Plus if we are being fair, the only reason he took so long is because he was worried for Wally's safety. If Brendan had his way, the rematch would have occurred the very same day. Which also suggests at his slow progression so far. Something keep in mind when we hit Slateport.
> 
> Also, you'll see I have finally introduced Steven's boyfriend! Obviously it's Wallace. With the chapter being what it was, I couldn't show too much to begin with. That said, Wallace is obviously quite important to Steven, important enough that he'd willingly leave his mission for a moment just to spend time with him. Of course, in Steven's defence, Cynthia was (in his eyes) ignoring him, and he has a planned time to catch Brendan now anyway. With this in mind, it's clear to see how he could justify running off for a little while. He's just fed up with being everyone else's run around is all, whatever consequences he gets for this remain to be seen of course, but for the moment he isn't worried about that.
> 
> Also in this chapter we get to see more Courtney and Cynthia interaction (because I honestly find it hilarious when they throw insults at each other). Of course, on top of this I show how narcissistic Courtney can be; she is quite the self-centred person when she isn't around her boss (who, so far, is the only person she seems to respect). Courtney is scheming her rescue, but also knows how to be socially manipulative when necessary. In this chapter she demonstrated such skill by managing to activate her beacon with a bargain, unbeknownst to Cynthia, naturally. When she can't get what she want's through smashing or burning things, you can bet Courtney knows how to get people to do what she wants. Though she obviously hates grovelling to Cynthia, as can be clearly seen here, but a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do to stay ahead of the competition.
> 
> Anywho, I'll give my shoutouts!:
> 
> As always, the ever awesome Mitsurausu and Luenick for your continued help with this fic and your support. You guys really do help in keeping this thing going, you're praise helps motivate me to make this story better for everyone!
> 
> Well, that about wraps up the shout outs, so I'll bow out now. But not before giving a big thank you to all of my readers! I am sorry that I was away for a week, but it really was necessary for my health overall! I am back now though, and I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Stay safe and have fun peeps, I'll see you all next week!


	22. Attacker's initiative

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo readers! First I'll offer my apologies for my lateness this time around. I spent a great deal of time on a personal project this week, and the lack of time as a result really caught up on me. Still, I didn't want to reduce this chapters quality at all, so I took an extra day before I released it so I could proof-read it. It should also be noted that this chapter's size was also a factor (Six thousand words) in the time it took to write.
> 
> Again though, I do apologise for my lateness and I hope you guys can forgive me ^_^;; With that said though, next week's chapter will be on time, since I won't have personal stuff grabbing my attention halfway through writing it like this poor chapter had.
> 
> Anywho, I'm pretty sure you guys are eager to read this, so I'll keep the top notes brief and let you dive right in. As always though, guest review replies and the shoutouts/dev notes for the chapter are in the end A/N.
> 
> Have fun readers!

Early afternoon; the sun blaring down from above, it's harsh but warm light passed through the gym's windows. Such light had the effect of motivating everyone in the complex, it was just a more cheerful environment on the whole when the weather was this good. Of course, despite the beautiful forecast, I did not hold everyone else's enthusiasm.

It was not because the day wasn't a good one (because it was in fact just that), but rather the lack of any meaningful challenge lately. It had been a good two weeks since any challenger had managed to give me a good fight. Well, truthfully, the duo from earlier in the week; Ruby and Wally from memory, had managed to at least keep me on my toes. Yet, their wave came crashing onto shore far too soon. I knew they had potential, it was plainly obvious that both of them had the spirit for battling. However, spirit alone wasn't enough, they demonstrated this clearly when they tried to use power and speed to overcome experience, or rather, their lack thereof.

Valiant effort on their part obviously, but it wasn't enough, and disregarding either of them, challenge had all but dried up lately. So naturally, the prospect for the day ahead wasn't looking as entertaining as I'd like it to be. Or so I thought, until said two challengers walked through the front door to my gym again.

In truth, I hadn't expected them to be back so soon, and though I was certainly happy for their return and what it meant for the fun I'd have today. The fact that they had returned so soon gave me little hope that either of them improved at all. I'd get some challenge at least, but not the challenge that I wanted out of it.

Still, gyms can't refuse reasonable challenges from certified trainers, so I guessed that I'd just have to teach them a lesson with another battle.

The first up to battle this time was Wally. A change from last time, though that wasn't the only difference. It was almost too small for me to see, but he seemed visibly more confident this time. I couldn't put a finger on how, or why, but it at least signalled that he'd at least appear better jn this fight, or so I hoped.

Still, the battle wasn't going to start itself, and just like the last fight, I was the one to initiate the proceedings. However, I wouldn't be the one to choose my Pokemon before him.

"Ok then brohan." I began, clutching the Pokeballs in my pocket. "I'll let you call out your Pokemon first since this is a re-match."

The boy clutched at the Pokeball in his hand, except not out of nervousness, but more acceptance. He appeared to whisper something to it before he tossed it, shouting as he did so.

"Go Anastasia!"

_This one again eh?_

He planned to start off the same, with the very same Drifloon. Perhaps they hadn't learned at all, but then easiest way to know that was through the fight. It'd be plain in battle, especially if I used the same Pokemon as last time.

"Meditite, you're next to brave the waves!" I shouted in response, tossing my own Pokeball out toward the centre of the arena.

A gamble using Meditite to start the second round, but whether the gamble failed or not, I'd learn exactly what might have changed since last time; if anything at all.

My Pokemon cried out after the ball went off, hitting the floor as I mused on the challenge ahead. Out of habit, I looked across the arena and took in my challenger's appearance. He was still reserved, but there was a spark about him now; some small hint of confidence.

_Good._

This might be an fun battle after all. Still, it wasn't going to go anywhere unless I one of us set the ball rolling, though I suspected it might have to be me like usual.

"Right then, I hope you're ready little dude, because I'm not holding back." I began, deciding to open with a different move from last time. "Meditite, I want you to meditate!"

A simple move, and if it was allowed to complete, Meditite's heightened focus would make it hit that much harder. At this distance, and given the way his Drifloon acted last time it would be a cake walk to execute before his Pokemon could manage even getting close to mine. We'd just hit with an empowered move on the next go around an-

"Anastasia, Shadow-ball!" Came a yell from the kid across the field.

_**WHAT.** _

_No way-_

"Meditite, cancel that meditate,  **Move!** " I shouted with urgency.

That move was super-effective and Meditite was frail, taking a direct hit would be close, if not just enough to take him out. I couldn't afford that happening and neither could Medi-Bro!

_Too late._

Though Meditite was successful in avoiding the full force of that Shadow-ball, it had taken a grazing of it to it's right arm;  _it's dominant arm_.

"What in the world..." I whispered in disbelief.

I had a  _lot_  of questions, like how in the hell that Drifloon knew a high level move after only a handful of days. Everything about this green-haired kid was surprising. From his incredibly strong Pokemon, to his ability to communicate telepathically with his most powerful team member. In fact, despite all of that even, the most surprising thing was that the Drifloon  _listened_  this time. Merely a few days ago it had been unable to follow simple battle commands, but now...

_Just who is this kid?_

Well, that was also a good question, but it didn't matter. Victory came first, questions unrelated to the battle at hand would have to wait until then. For now though, we'd actually have to take this challenge seriously.

Starting with damage assessment.

Meditite was still standing, but it was holding it's right arm with the left, and it looked quite grazed even from here. The pain would make it more difficult to meditate, and our fire punch would be weaker. We'd been cornered because I underestimated this kid a second time.

_This is a starting to become a habit. Lets fix that._

We had one offensive option left, and staying at a distance when our opponent had access to Shadow-ball meant keeping space between us was a horrible plan. We would have to get up close an personal.

"Meditite!  _It's time to surf the wave_ _s_ _!_ " I commanded, knowing that it would dart around and find it's own opening.

I'd just have to time my next order when it got close. Though our opponent wasn't going to give us an easy time of that apparently.

"Anastasia, keep using Shadow-ball!" Came a squeaky cry.

He shouted it with confidence this time, and I could tell just by looking at the subtle smile on his face that he  _knew_  he had the upper-hand. The real question was whether or not he could maintain it, that was definitely a question I would be answering, personally.

"Meditite, manoeuvre around them!" I shouted out in response to the slow barrage of Shadow-balls, re-affirming my earlier command.

I just had to dodge around and look for openings, since Wally was clearly dead set on utilizing this new move of his.

The draw back to abusing a move like that of course was the energy toll it placed on the body of a Pokemon. There was only so many Shadow-balls he'd be able to do, especially with a pre-evolved Pokemon like that. Regardless of how strong Anastasia was, there would come a point where it'd have to fall back onto a different move. Even before that, I'd just have to wait for Meditite to find an opening; with it's skilful footwork, it would reach it's goal. That was becoming quite apparent as it dodged all the Shadow-ball attempts one by one, even with the damaged arm.

_Impressive focus as always Meditite._

Just a little bit more, just one good position and...

_**Now.** _

"Meditite, Jump up and use Zen head-butt!"

The timing was perfect; Anastasia was in between shots and Meditite was almost directly below it. In his confidence, Wally had forgotten the importance of repositioning, especially if one is relying on ranged attacks. Had he staggered the Shadow-balls and ordered his Drifloon to move in the downtime, this moment would have arrived much slower, and he would have let off a few more high-powered ghost moves.

Despite his apparent working bond and strong Pokemon, the little man still didn't grasp every fundamental in the book. True, he seemed quite a bit better than last time, but if he didn't think about things like this during battle he'd only be hurting himself and his Pokemon.

 _Case in point_.

 **Thwack**.

The zen head-butt hit it's mark as Meditite's forehead collided with the full force of it's jump, right into Drifloon's... well... face.

The force of the move sent the Pokemon backwards a couple metres, now with a visible injury in between it's two eye's, right where the yellow X was.

_Well, X does mark the spot; Job well done Medi-bro._

"You're a tough one Wally, I'll give you that." I spoke, trying my best to appear confident, regaining the initiative.

Still, this was more of a stall than anything else. I was buying time to come up with a follow up attack plan. Our options were limited due to the fact that the Drifloon had an above average ranged attack; if it had been something less powerful, something more manageable... No, I couldn't spend time dwelling on the 'ifs', it was all about the 'now', that was the path to victory here.

"Th-Thanks!" My challenger responded, his smile quite evident from here.

_Perfect, I've got some time._

Now, how to win from here? Zen head-butt was the only move Meditite had that could be used properly. With it's dominant arm so damaged our usual punch-based attacks would be useless. His Pokemon on the other hand had let loose a few Shadow-balls, more than a few even. Drifloon wouldn't be able to output all that much more... Do I gamble on that or-

"Anastasia! Give them another barrage!"

_What? No!_

He'd taken my silence as a cue to resume! We still didn't have enough time to plan around this!

_Arceus damn it!_

"Medi-bro!  _Brave the waves again!_ " I shouted, hoping Meditite could at least dodge the next lot of attacks.

That implied command also meant to get closer while moving around the field. We'd been locked into our old plan for lack of a better one.

**Crash.**

_**Bang.** _

One by one, the Shadow-balls struck the gym floor, inches from their target; merely a pace away from my Pokemon. Yet for all the trouble (and noise) this was causing, I lacked any resolution. It was my underestimation of this child that caused Meditite to suffer the momentary loss of it's dominant arm in combat against Wally's Pokemon. Gym leaders never let their status get the better of them, but in this case even I had a hard time understanding just how much this boy had changed from before. His Pokemon was listening and it knew a powerful attack off by heart; any reasonable person wouldn't have expected this in the slightest from only a few day's practice.

_Yet guessing it would have prevented the first round going so poorly!_

_**Steady.** _

I shouted inwardly; quelling my doubts. Focus was required, dwelling on things like that would only make the situation worse; when pitted against the waves, panic would only ensure that we drown. I took a deep breath, noted the landscape, the distance of our Pokemon as Meditite closed in again. It had almost arrived, but I couldn't underestimate Wally this time.  _Not again._  He'd anticipate that, we'd have to come up with something else, and quick before the next Shadow-ball went off.

_There! The rock on the left!_

That was our ticket out of here! If I had Meditite launch off that, the attack would be sped up!

"Meditite! Vault off the rock to your left and use Zen-headbutt!"

My Pokemon obeyed, and our challenger's Pokemon was about to fire one more Shadow-ball,  _right on tim_ _e to ruin our move,_ _I called it wrong_ _!_

_Damn i-_

Except the Shadow-ball petered out, fizzling before it fired.

_Too many huh?_

This was the best chance we could possibly get, and we were most definitely going to take it.

The move played out, exactly as planned, Meditite had launched itself off the rock, and was flying right towards the Drifloon; Meditite's forehead glowing with psychic energy. I took a quick glance at my challenger's face in the midst of the final attack, and my mood was lifted when I saw the surprise and shock mingling with fear on his face. He knew that the first round was over; we both knew.

_**Thwak.** _

The head-butt made a clean hit, knocking the balloon Pokemon backward, eventually descending to the floor.

Drifloon was definitely unconscious, and the first round went to me.

_But at a cost._

Though the defeated look on my challengers face certainly lifted my spirits, it wouldn't fix Meditite's condition. No matter what Pokemon my challenger brought out next, Meditite would more than likely fall to it, and I certainly wasn't going to underestimate him again. I'd have to switch; there was no point in keeping Meditite out at all in this state. Still, I let Wally call back their Pokemon first; their's was the Pokemon to faint after all.

"Well, round one goes to me! You might want to switch team members for round two, unless of course you want to forfeit?" I asked, hoping he might leave it at that.

"No!.. I mean... I-I can keep going! I signed up for two rounds and that's what I'll do!"

Damn. I was hoping he might, so that I wouldn't have to deal with any complications regarding his very likely next choice, but he wasn't one to quit so easily it seemed. On the one hand, I admired this and it meant I could battle for longer, but on the other... Well, should he bring out who I thought he was going to bring out,  _I'd have to establish some ground rules_.

I saw my challenger clutch his Pokeball against his chest after he spoke, recalling his Pokemon a moment later. I could have sworn that he whispered something to the ball itself before he put it away, but I couldn't be sure. Wally didn't waste time however, almost immediately he brought out the next ball. Like last time, he asked for a 2v2 single battle, and I had a very good guess who he was going to call out next for his final Pokemon.

_Please, let it be someone els-_

"Come out Forsythe!" The boy shouted as he tossed the second ball.

Arceus damn it all.

It was obvious he would be it, and just like last time, the green-haired kid's expression changed dramatically. Before it was mostly neutral, with only a few flecks of determination about his expression. As expected, it changed to something far more confident; to a smirk even, with his brows cocked just a little, as if directing the question 'What you going to do now?' at me.

This was a problem, a massive problem, for a lot more reasons than just those revolving around combat. Taking this route meant that he was linked with that Gallade, and he'd feel everything that happened to his Pokemon. Considering the last result with our first battle, this didn't bode well. If I managed to ruffle a single hair on his head, I was almost guaranteed Ruby's wrath afterward.

_It's about time I lay down some rules._

"If you're going to use that Pokemon, and you plan to use it against me the way you did before, then you should listen up little man." I stated calmly, recalling my Meditite in between the downtime.

"Huh?" Came the perplexed response.

"I'll make this short. If you battle me with that Pokemon while you're linked with it, then you have to agree to something first."

_Because I can't have him being knocked out by the pain again._

"What's that?"

He sounded intrigued, more than even, his smirk widened when he said it. Odd, did he expect me to add rules for this situation?

"It's simple, if my Pokemon ever has you even remotely close to a sure-ko position, we will stop the fight, and you will lose by default." I stated plainly, expecting his cheekish grin to disappear.

_It didn't._

If anything, it seemed to grow; given the circumstances, he should be more annoyed that I was limiting his ability to win this match for his own safety. So then why did he still seem so... cocky?

I didn't have an answer for it, but it didn't matter. If this was his attempt at psyching me out then it wasn't going to work, I'd be the one to command the flow of this battle,  _not him_.

I'd start by making the first wave of course, initiative was everything here.

"Hariyama! Come on out and taste the waves of this battle!" I shouted, tossing the ball and allowing my defiant confidence to be heard.

Said shout matched by the loud thump as my Pokemon emerged a moment later, hitting the ground as it did so. One look at my challenger's Pokemon told me they were both ready for this fight, but a glance at Hari afterward said much the same for us.

 _This is going to be good battle_.

Not to my surprise this time that my challenger made the first move. Of course, I couldn't predict when those would happen accurately since he didn't even need to speak to his Gallade in order to battle. Even worse that his choice of move was a psycho-cut.

Contrary to our previous fight, he launched the psycho-cut outward, sending a disk of psychic energy hurtling toward my Hariyama. Wally was trying to keep me at a distance with ranged super-effective moves, or that seemed to be his base strategy,  _but that wasn't going to fly against Hariyama_.

"Hari,  _Break the waves!_ " I yelled, this time with a smile on my face and fire stirring in my stomach.

This will be a good fight all right. Hariyama would demonstrate that  _perfectly_.

On cue, my Pokemon responded and waited till the blade of energy hit the halfway point across the arena, before pulling it's palms as far back as it possibly could. Clapping them together as the disembodied blade of energy reached three-quarter distance, causing a massive wave of air and sound to pulse outward. The effect this would, and most certainly did have, was destabilising the psycho-cut all together, causing it to split and fizzle in mid air.

A look back at my challenger granted me the sweet yet short sight of his waning smirk; he definitely didn't expect  _that._

"You know Wally. Normally I don't have to use that, since very few attacks are actually affected by such a move. But you're psycho-cut, while strong, has a distinct shape; if it doesn't hold, it won't maintain itself. Or, in other words:  _that attack won't work on me_." I told him deadpan.

It was true; being a fighting type gym-leader I knew the in's and out's of the types I was weak too. By virtue of my occupation, I had to possess knowledge of the more powerful psychic, flying and fairy type moves out there. I was well versed in how psycho-cut worked, given that it was one of the most powerful physical psychic type moves; especially for the fact that it was capable of being ranged as well as a point blank attack, and yet in either case it would still hit with physical force. It did so because of it's distinct shape, which was also the reason that it didn't dissipate on it's own if fired as a projectile; it was stable... Unless someone threw a spanner in the works.

_Yes, I know **exactly**  how to fight you._

I boasted to myself in though, solidifying my resolve to win.

He caught me off guard with Meditite, but he wouldn't do so easily again. Not answering my earlier statement wouldn't put me off my mental balance either. I was ready, no matter what card he wanted to play next.

"Well, if you won't make another move, then I will; Hariyama, get closer!" I shouted, breaking the silence he left between us.

Of course I had to get close to win, but this was as much bait on a hook as it was a logically sound move. Wally had the predictable habit of charging when using this Pokemon, and doing a standard dash feint into a teleport-bound attack at the opponent's back or sides. A simple and clean flanking attack, but there was only so many times I'd fall for it. We just had to wait and...

_There._

The Gallade was charging directly for Hariyama, as planned. This would close the distance faster; my opponent would lose his smirk completely after this!

Mere seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity; I had to stay vigilant. Catching the moment the teleport went off was crucial, it would be at that point that I'd give the next order. If all went well, we'd pin Gallade to the floor and win in one move, as per the rules for this round. We just had t-

" **Hariyama turn around and** _ **give him a spin**_ **."**  I shouted with triumph.

We'd pin the Gallade to the floor easily, he'd teleport behind us, and now that the Gallade's body was flickering with green energy, it was to late to change the destination; he was caught now. In the split second that followed, I glanced at my challenger, eager to see how his expression would drop as Hariyama pivoted on the spot, prepared to defend all three of it's flank-able sides.

_Except it didn't._

There was no time for me to wonder why, or even be horrified for knowing why. Yet it would all be explained within the very next second.

A disturbing cry rang out into the arena, a cry of pain and rage.

"Haaarrrriiiiiiyamaaaaaaaaa!"

_We'd been hit._

It took a moment for my confused mental state to lapse just enough for me to understand, but eventually I saw it plain as day. Hariyama stumbled, almost falling over. Revealing a moderate gash on it's back and a Gallade wearing the weirdest expression I'd seen come from it all day.

_It looks... surprised?!_

There was no time to consider why, we had to cover our backs first! On instinct I yelled at the top of my lungs.

" **Hariyama, distance yourself!** "

It was injured, heavily. Taking another attack like that would put an end to this fight, we had to fall back and plan our next move!

The wound made it difficult, but Hariyama got to it's feet and jumped with all the force it's powerful legs could muster. It landed with a dull but loud thud, and even crack the gym floor under some of it's weight, but either way, it had put at least twenty metres between itself and it's attacker. Normally it would be able to do at least ten more, but with a wound like that one it was miracle it managed even that much.

_Laughter?!_

I was already unnerved enough as it was, but then Wally began to laugh, almost putting his palm to his face, but leaving it just short in a claw shape. The laugh didn't even sound like him, it was more... guttural. Hell, that gesture was as condescending as I'd ever seen him look.

_Did he snap or something?!_

"You know Human. Wally didn't really want me to speak, but I honestly can't believe you'd be so predictable. It's almost laughable that you'd underestimate him so often." The boy spoke, his dry tone more cutting than I'd ever imagine coming from someone like him.

Except it didn't sound anything like him, and more to the point...

"What the hell do you mean Human?!" I shouted at him with confusion.

Perplexed beyond belief, but relieved he was giving me time, time to plan ahead.

"Oh come now, don't be so dense. You know Wally psychically links with me; surely even you must have figured out by now who's been operating which body."

_Operating whic-_

" _ **You're Gallade?!"**_ I shouted with disbelief.

"Hmph. Bingo." The boy- no,  _Gallade_  answered, pulling his hand back and placing it on his side.

My mind reeled with questions, but I couldn't lose my calm. He was giving me time, if I kept him talking I could come up with a way to win. All it would take would be for me to pin him down and victory would be mine.

We just had to find a way to do it.

"But why?" I asked, regaining some of my composure, however much I might have wanted to shout that question.

Gallade-Wally laughed in response, clearly not done mocking me. Gallade's body ran off in the meantime, ready to start another attack.

_Damn it, time to think fast!_

All we knew about Wally and Gallade was that everything he did revolved around one thing.

_Frontal assaults._

Given his track record so far, the next one would also still be a teleport-based attack at point blank. Hariyama would have to just slam the floor this time! The shock-wave should push Wally's attack of course  _just enough_  for us to force palm him before he could regain his footing. Which likely wouldn't make the Gallade faint outright, basically guaranteeing Wally's safety and our victory in the process.

It was plan enough, and all we had as the other Pokemon closed in, poised to strike as it's arm blade's charged up; crackling with psychic energy.

We just had to wait for that tell tale teleport flicker...  _There._

" **Hariyama, slam the ground with your palms!** "

_**Boom.** _

The floor broke apart under the force.  _This was it_ , thrusting at the ground would create a defensive shock-wave which would push Gallade back once it re-appeared, this would make the opening that we-

" **Where is it?!** " I shouted, vocalising my own question by accident.

I was met with nothing but more condescending laughter, followed swiftly by prideful words.

"Really, you don't give my trainer enough credit... Oh well;  _you lose_."

Gallade spoke through Wally's body, giving off a sense of smugness, but this time maintaining an air of finality, as if the battle was already over.

_But where was his body?!_

Hariyama hadn't been struck! Not a single strike had been attempted; Gallade had simply vanishe-

_**Bang.** _

Without warning, an explosion erupted from where Hariyama had been standing. My Pokemon had been hit with an attack  _from the air!_

I looked up frantically, discovering the source of that attack. It was indeed Gallade; or Wally, or ever was using that damned body right now. I was confused as to who, but regardless of that, they had made a brilliant move. They knew I'd defend from all previous angles; they predicted my prediction. A bitter revelation, made worse by the clearing dust around Hariyama's body.

My Pokemon had been knocked unconscious.

_It had to have been another psycho-cut to do that._

We'd been bested. The fact of our defeat sunk in as Gallade teleported again within a moment of the strike's impact, bringing it back to ground level. Though it had landed the finishing blow, it seemed... Angry.

Having difficulty understanding how this could have happened, I clutched at the Pokeball in my hand for relief, recalling Hariyama reluctantly as I contemplated what to do. I could fight on with Meditite, but given that I hadn't landed a single scratch on Gallade, that wouldn't achieve anything; I'd only end up hurting Medi-bro for nothing.

_The ocean of battle can be a cruel place; when you're sunk, that's that._

"Ok challenger, I forfeit, you win." I stated through gritted teeth with great distaste.

I still couldn't believe Wally would beat Hariyama before I could pin him, before I even landed a hit on him. Last time it was almost too easy, but now...

"R-Really?!" Came a surprised shout from across the arena.

Well at least the real Wally was back. Though I was still baffled as to why he'd switch places with his Pokemon in a battle against me, especially given the risks involved, he did still manage to win.

Yes, despite having a smaller margin of error than I did, he beat me. Fair and square.

"Really brohan. I'll be over in sec to hand you your badge, just wait for me by the arena seats."

Though I spoke more calmly this time, if someone was listening close enough, they'd be able to catch the barely audible annoyance in my voice.

"Ok!" He responded, this time with cheer, while recalling his (now smirking) Pokemon.

A sigh escaped my lips as I began the long walk back to the spectator seats. The little man had proven to be more than a handful today, and as much as I hated to admit it, I kept underestimating him. Though I couldn't have predicted his last move at all, I could have reacted sooner. At the least, I could have expected the unexpected, perhaps then I would have been able to respond...

But that wave had rocked onto to shore already and another one was inbound. No sense dwelling on a battle already done because you simply can't replay a fight. Though it irritated me, I'd lost, and there was nothing more I could do about it. Frustration aside however, I'd at least get a small amount of time to consider my next bout with Ruby while my Pokemon recovered from this hectic fight.

Well,  _after_  I deliver the gym badge to my victorious challenger of course.

* * *

It had been risky. Probably too risky, but it was our only shot. Ruby was sure to scold me for it, and Brawly probably wasn't very pleased that I used Forsythe again, but it didn't matter what the risks were. If I lost and Ruby had won then...

It was possible he might have left me behind, or taken me back home. Though that chance was slim, Losing still wasn't an option, I  _had_  to win.

Still, the idea sounded crazy even to me when I came up with it, yet Forsythe believed it was the best possible way for us to fight. Under normal conditions, I only gave passive input on what to do in a battle, I didn't normally control Forsythe's body for a whole fight. Brawly knew how Forsythe would fight though, he was always analysing us during battle, it was obvious given how many times he'd glance at us in a match because he was looking for a tell on me and my actions. Since our opponent knew how Forsythe conducted his fights, I had to remove all bias.

To completely turn the balance; for me to be able to win without Hariyama hitting us, I had to prevent Forsythe from actively participating. Removing his predictability was necessary, so I did something I normally wouldn't dare to do.

I became the active fighter and Forsythe became the passive advisor.

Mind-Swapping wasn't something we did often, and it always felt weird when we did do it. Usually it was more a tool for Forysthe to enjoy being a human now and again; my way of saying thank you for everything he does for me...  _For protecting me._

Of course, I was still planning to talk to Gallade later about letting this detail slip during the battle, victory was our priority and there would've been plenty time for him to boast after the fact. He just couldn't help himself as usual though, typical of him to goad an opponent on the losing end of a fight. This time it was made worse by the fact that he was speaking through me; thankfully he didn't give away the whole plan, yet that wouldn't make me any less annoyed that he had almost told Brawly what was going on.

That aside, I never thought to use mind-swapping against someone in battle, at least not like this. The results did speak for themselves though. Sudden shifts in our fighting style threw Brawly for a loop and we managed to knock out Hariyama without taking a hit, causing the gym leader to forfeit.

_Yes indeed, we won our second gym badge._

A fact that slowly sunk in as I stood here by the far end of the spectator seats, knowing full well I was going to be questioned. I'd likely receive an earful from Ruby the moment he he reached me. Which wouldn't take long either, since I could already hear him shouting my name in the distance.

" _Wallllllyyyyyyyyy!"_ Echoed a shout across the large gap between us, the spectating seats separating me from him.

It sounded equal parts happy and concerned, and a small part of me felt bad for making him worry over me. I knew he didn't want me using Gallade in fights, but I did it anyway. Yet, if he could know why I did, would he really blame me? Would he be so worried about it if he was aware that I did all this so he wouldn't leave me behind, so that I wouldn't end up a burden for him?

_Probably._

I sighed.

It didn't matter whether he was worried or not of course, I did what I had to in order to keep up with him, and I'd do it again. Travelling with Ruby was the most fun I'd ever had, though the danger of him leaving me here was minimal, I wouldn't ever give him more reason to consider it.

At least with this fight, I'd shown how strong I could become. I might not be the best right now, not by a long shot, but I beat Brawly one for two, and in doing so, demonstrated that I at least wasn't useless.

_That had to_ _count for_ _something._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader, lets dive into some of the reasons behind how this chapter went shall we!
> 
> First off, the biggest thing you'll notice is that it's all about Wally! Mostly from someone else's perspective. Originally, this chapter was meant to be devoted entirely to Brendan/Wally's fight with Brawly, but I felt I could better demonstrate their growth as trainers and people if I gave the both of them their own chapter. So next week's chapter will focus entirely on Brendan's fight (as well as what he has to say to Brawly and Wally about what just happened), and will likely be just as big as this one. The reasoning behind this will become apparent in chapters after these two, but for now that's the structure I will be using for next week.
> 
> Getting back to this chapter however, I used Brawly's perspective to note his tendency to underestimate the amount of tricks Wally actually has, or even just Wally's skill full stop. On top of this, I needed the Drifloon section to demonstrate that, while Wally's Pokemon had grown stronger, and he had a better idea of what to do in a fight (including the fact that he appeared just a tiny bit more confident than last time), it still wouldn't be enough on it's own. Two days or so training with Brendan won't magically make all his faults go away, and he is still reliant on using his psychic link, as evidenced by his use of Gallade this fight.
> 
> However.
> 
> His ability to adapt to the situation and plan accordingly was shown clearly when he came up with the bold (but genius) idea of mind-swapping to throw off Brawly's predictions. Wally is perfectly capable of out playing an opponent, his main problem is just lack of experience with battles not involving his last resort. Of course, I may have also used this chapter to add just a little bit more dialogue to Forysthe's total, since I just love how he's a foil for his own trainer.
> 
> On top of this, we begin to see that Wally is growing attached, and is now fighting drastically to not only prove his worth, but to also keep up with Brendan purely on the grounds that he doesn't want him to go.
> 
> Even when there is little grounds for Brendan to leave at this point, he is still taking big risks for the sake of staying on par.
> 
> While it's true that earlier in the fic he had a similar attitude, Wally wasn't acting as reckless as he is now. In other words, his bond with Brendan is strengthening quite a bit, which is something we have to keep in the forefront of our minds with the slateport arc almost being upon us. Their relationship with one another and how they feel will steadily be put to light as we progress into (and eventually out of) the slateport arc that I have planned. In fact, Slateport might even 1.5 times as big as the dewford arc we have going on right now.
> 
> But I digress, that's the notes for this weeks chapter, so I'll stop rambling and get to the shout-outs
> 
> a big shout out to Mitsurausu and Luenick for their continued support. Seriously guys, you're awesome.
> 
> Anywho, with the shout out's done, I'll bow out for another week. I will apologise one last time for being late, since this time it was indeed my fault for spending to much time on a personal project, but I hope you guys can still forgive me. Either way though, I promise that next week's chapter will be on time!
> 
> Until then, have a fantastic week peeps, I'll see you all on sunday!


	23. Beneath the surface of the waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo there everyone! I've been so fricken busy it's not even funny anymore. In fact, before I get to the new chapter, I need to tell you all that next week's chapter release will have to be skipped. Unfortunately, my real life friends have been stealing a grand amount of time away from my usable time pool, which is already small enough as it is, and they decided to drop something on me this weekend while they were using said time. I am to go with them on a trip to a place out in the country side called hanmer (for those of you who don't live in NZ don't worry, just know it's a very quiet place).
> 
> On said trip, I will be unable to take my laptop, which means I will be unable to write. Since this trip will take up my friday, saturday, and sunday, I won't have nearly enough time to finish a chapter. So sorry about that everyone, but it would be a near physical impossibility for me to get a chapter out next week without taking a day off work, which is something I can't do. That said, the following week after next, my new chapter will appear on time in it's usual release spot (sunday night/monday morning).
> 
> Anywho, with that negative tid bit of information out of the way, it is with pleasure that I present this weeks chapter! The Ruby/Brendan battle segment. This chapter will focus heavily on this battle only, but don't worry, in the following chapter after this one, we will revisit some important narrative (cynthia and steven's current problems) immediately. Since at that point the focus will have been taken away from the Brawly rematch.
> 
> Anyway, guest reviews/shoutouts at the bottom, and I hope you all have fun reading this weeks instalment!

_What._

" _ **WHAT?!**_ " I shouted well above voice level, though unintentionally. " _You mean he was swapped with him this_ _ **entire**_ _time?!_ "

"Yes." The gym leader answered calmly.

" **You've got to be fucking kidding me.** "

Ok, so perhaps I was more angry than I thought I'd be. Partially because Wally had not only used Gallade again, but more because he'd been taking a risk greater than usual. Then again, I supposed that the biggest source of my rage was not in fact Wally's recklessness, but rather Brawly's continuation of the battle despite finding out about this halfway through.

" _We talked about this after the last time Brawly, I told you not to let hi-!_ "

" _Ruby_." Came a quiet word, just audible enough to be heard despite my near manic shouting.

It was solid but... Soft. Though I needn't have been surprised given that Wally was the one to interrupt me. He gave me a look, equal parts annoyance and concern, but just a hint of pleading in it.

_He expects me to just let it go? Brawly could have seriously hurt him!_

"... Wally, I know it was your decision, but I can't forgive Brawly for putting you at risk!" I said it with a little more calm than my previous statements.

I wanted to argue, to scold Wally for being so rash, but the words halted in my throat. The look in his pale-blue eyes were requesting that I leave it be, in a such a way that it almost felt like I was the one at fault here. It struck a chord; I knew how important this battle was to him, he put all his effort into everything he did, including battling. I should know how he feels, I did the same thing after all; still I would never take a risk like that. It was dangerous, reckless, downright foolish even, and yet... I just couldn't say it.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

I couldn't. I simply couldn't; despite all my effort, I could not bring myself to voice the anger I was feeling. His eyes were gentle in their plea and there was no refusing it. In my frustration at my inability to throw vitriol at Brawly or well-intentioned warnings to Wally I merely shook my head and didn't bother talking on the matter further.

_Fine, I'll hold my tongue._

" _Whatever_." I said, exasperated with simmering anger.

Judging by the look on Brawly's face, I could tell he expected me to throw more words at him. Apparently he was surprised that was all I was going to do. Truthfully, I felt that same surprise, but there was no way I'd give someone like him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"... Well, anyway, I have to go heal my Pokemon dudes." Brawly began awkwardly, breaking the weird silence between us all. "So uhhhhh, I'll be about an hour or two. You can both wait in the gymnasium area if you like, it'd probably be more comfor-"

"No." I started, cutting him off; only really doing so out of spite. "We'll wait here for you until you get back." I finished, dismissing the conversation with a passive wave.

Without missing a beat, I turned and walked toward the spectator seats. If I was going to wait for two hours, I might as well sit down. Since I had no reason to talk further with that mess of a gym leader, I let the conversation drop immediately; though I wasn't entirely sure how I'd pass those two hours, it didn't really matter. One way or another, I was winning today's battle, it was only a matter of time.

"Ruby! W-Wait for me!" Came a voice from behind me.

_But not before at least asking Wally what he was thinking in that last fight._

* * *

 

Well, completely unsurprising that Ruby would have something to say to me. It was true after all, I did continue that fight, but only because of the rules I had in place since before round two's beginning. Wally was aware of the score, and so was I; by all accounts, he would come out safer than last time had I actually landed a move.

What I didn't expect however, was that Ruby would hold his tongue so well. I imagined streams upon streams of swearing and incensed rage. What I got instead was a strong, yet extremely brief outburst, and then a following dismissal. It was odd, given Ruby's track record, that he would stop so short of the mark. But he did, which confused me greatly.

I knew it had something to do with Wally; Ruby was looking at the kid for a long while before he responded the second time. Yet I still couldn't make heads or tails of it. Seemingly, they had reached an understanding, but neither of them spoke about it, and their expressions certainly didn't change much either. The only explanation was that they were good friends; either they knew each other's social cues in and out,  _and_  back to front. Or they were just really good with wordless communication, but again, thanks to Ruby's track record, that wasn't likely.

Yes, given Ruby's... belligerent attitude, at least when it comes to other people, it was far more likely they were old friends. Though in saying that, I still couldn't propose that with certainty either. These two challengers were interesting to say the least.

_But I could have done without the verbal abuse._

Yes, that would have been nice, since I really wasn't deserving of i-

"Are you going to start this match or not Brawly?" Someone said, interrupting my thoughts.

It was my second challenger. For all his anger earlier, he certainly seemed in his element now. Much like his friend, his expression very much resembled that of the previous attempt. Yet, just like Wally it somehow seemed different. The self-assured smugness was still there, in fact it was so blatantly obvious he might as well have a wore a sign above his head that said 'Asshole'. This time though, there was a hint of something else; his confidence was tempered, there was a very tiny degree of caution in his eyes.

_He's taking me seriously this time?_

"Well, since you're so eager for a beat down dude, I guess I'll have to give you one." I said, finally getting tired of being nice to this kid.

He didn't respond, if anything he smirked.

_Oh, so he's going for just provocation eh?_

It made sense really, but from here on out I'd resolve not to reward his provocation. Instead I'd give him another tough match. Tougher than Wally's even, because, like last time, Ruby had opted to use only one Pokemon again. Which meant he had to win the first round, or lose entirely; there would be no second chances. Of course, this applied to me as well, but unlike Wally, Ruby wasn't the kind to operate on surprises and hidden trump cards. He might be crafty, and even clever in how he liked to battle, but it was at a break-neck pace. There's only so much thinking one can do on their feet, and against me and Hariyama that was a dangerous gambit.

_But we'll see soon enough._

"Hariyama, come on out!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball across the field.

My ball landed on the ground with a  _clunk_ , revealing my very obvious choice for this battle. My challenger Ruby had already called out his Pokemon in anticipation of the fight, and oh what a fight he'd get.

"Good to see you've finally decided to start this match." My challenger responded to my Pokemon's cry, smirk in tow.

"Hmph. It'll be up to you to the make the first move, I don't intend to come to you." I stated as blandly as I could, not buying into his remark.

"Well that suits me just fine, I planned on making the first move anyway." He retorted, gesturing his arm forward commandingly. "Flitter,  _let's start the show._ " He finished, smirk levelling into something more serious.

His Pokemon sped off at the words, with what appeared to be more speed than last time. It was hard to track with the human eye, as usual, I wouldn't have too much time to plan for this one.

"Hariyama,  _brave the weather_." I shouted, opting to take a defensive stance to start off with.

That Ruby kid would just close in on us like last time and then order a flurry of attacks, we had to be prepared for a frontal assaul-

"Flitter, dart left and use flamethrower!"

_What-_

**Shwoom.**

A massive inferno erupted from the flygon's mouth, aimed  _directly for Hariyama._

" **Hariyama! Dodge it!** " I shouted, urgency seeping into my voice.

Though surprising, and most definitely catching me off guard, his Pokemon's flamethrower just missed my Pokemon. The dodge was instinctive, since in truth, Hariyama possessed fat thick enough to shield it from the bulk of the damage of that attack. Then again, not taking damage at all was better than taking minuscule amounts of it, since it all added up in the end. Of course, the real problem was this current change from the status quo. As far as I knew Ruby, he was always the type to do things up-close and personal; why would he open up with a ranged move?

I didn't know the answer to that question, but in itself, it raised even more questions; there was a possibility that Ruby had decided to flip his battle style much like Wally, albeit with a lot less risk. Given his impatience I wouldn't have guessed it possible, but apparently this dude was actually on the ball today with his patience.

"Flitter, don't ease up, keep moving and using flamethrower!"

_Or not._

I sighed, maybe he just decided to switch to ranged purely to stop himself from getting countered. Well it wouldn't work, there was only so many times his Pokemon would be able to use flamethrower before it had to stop. At this range, there was little chance of a direct hit, especially with our footwork.

"Hariyama,  _move with the ocean!_ " I commanded, using one of my other defensively-minded implied orders.

Hariyama was more than capable, even at the medium range between us and our opponent's Flygon. Like clockwork, we dodged each flamethrower in sequence; with me noting the obvious pattern of attacking our challenger had here. As the seconds rolled by, it became progressively easier for us to avoid his attacks, even as Flygon moved from vantage point to vantage point with incredible speed.

Yet despite this, and how much ease I was having, my challenger didn't seem the least bit fazed when I looked at him. Though he certainly wasn't smirking like before, he seemed too pre-occupied with watching the fight to care what expression he was giving. Despite this, all I could read from his face was that this was working exactly as it should be for him. There was no hint of anger, exasperation or annoyance at Hariyama's skilful manoeuvres, only a pensive and observantly bland look.

It perplexed me, but the possibility that he was attempting to psych me out did occur to me. Whatever the case may be, me and Hari would take him on and everything he could throw at us. If he had an actual plan, which I severely doubted, we would rise to meet it with our own.

 **Shwoom**.

_Another miss._

He was running out of time at this point. What was the purpose of wasting attacks like that when we had the pattern down. Sure, over a long enough period of time, they would land a hit, but it wouldn't even be remotely worth the effort. Moving round in a circle and spewing flames in quarter-rotational pivots just wouldn-

_Wait._

_**Is his Flygon inching closer with every shot**_?

It was hard to tell with how many times he had stopped along the way to issue another flamethrower command, but looking at it now, it was obvious. It was only observable if you were looking for it, but that didn't answer why'd he'd been circ-

"Flitter,  _give them the opening act!_ " My challenger shouted, smirk returning in full force.

With little more than that as a warning, Flygon snapped it's flight path to a different direction while Hariyama was mid-pivot.

_They're going to_ _catch us mid-dodge?!_

If they managed to do so, Hariyama wouldn't be able to respond, since it was pivoting for a flamethrower that wasn't coming! How could this kid's Flygon even go that fast?! What kind of speed would allow it to do this!

"Hariyam-!"

"Flitter, use dragon breath now!" My challenger interrupted me.

**Fwoom**

The green dragon type let loose a blast of purple, blue-ish flame. It looked pretty, but it would certainly hurt, and right now there was nothing I could do, except watch as the attack struck Hariyama on it's left arm.

A cry of pain rang out as the Flygon darted backwards, after the attack.

" **Hariyaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!** "

We'd been struck.  _Hard._  I could tell without even seeing the injury, given the volume of Hari's cry, that it was big. The mark wasn't too far off either; a burned spot was clearly visible on it's leg when Hari struggled to keep it's footing, shifting it's weight off the affected leg, moving the injured one into view.

_Damn it._

I'd only caught onto his plan just before he struck. At first it appeared that he and Wally were trying the same gamble; perhaps they had even strategized this beforehand. But over the course of the next minute I had become suspicious of the reasons behind this... interesting, display of flamethrower-based aerial acrobatics. Yet, I failed to notice in time just what was going on, and now I was paying for it.

"What's the matter Brawly?" My opponent asked mockingly, his smirk spreading into a grin.

_He's trying to incite me to anger again._

Not that I was going to give him the satisfaction for it. Instead I gave an equally confident smile; however much confidence I actually lacked, and returned his shit-eating grin.

" _We're just fine, don't you worry brohan_." I spoke, trying hard to maintain my veneer of self-assurance.

Of course it was a lie. Me and Hari were definitely in quite the bind, but there was little my poke-bro could have done to avoid that attack on his own, given how it was orchestrated. We'd been thrown a spare wave and we had to ride it now.

"Oh good, wouldn't want the battle to end so soon..." Ruby said.

Clearly, making fun of me was more pressing than him rushing the match like usual.

_Does this dude ever chill?_

Probably not.

Well, if Ruby was going to try the ranged game, I supposed I should bust out a move Hari had only recently learned. It was still risky, given that we hadn't practised it enough to be sure of how powerful it could be, or even if it could be our staple ranged move. Circumstance wouldn't care for concerns like that; current weather conditions demanded action. We had to act.  _Now_.

"No, we wouldn't, would we?" I began, deciding to give away my shaky smile at least. "Hariyama, focus blast!" I shouted triumphantly.

"What?!" My challenger shouted, as Hariyama started charging up a focused ball of fighting spirit.

Yes, this attack would be Hariyama's fighting will manifest, and it would hit like a metric tonne of bricks as a direct result of said constitution. My challenger's Pokemon was about to become well acquainted with that spirit, and I couldn't help but grin as the orb of energy grew to critical mass in less than a second.

"Hariyama, fire now!" I shouted once more.

Even better that the orb's speed was phenomenal, despite what little practice we had actually done.

_We'd land this one._

" **Fl** **itter** **, dodge it!** " Ruby cried, finally realising the dire position that he was in.

Focus blast was an incredibly powerful move after all, and the greater the fighting spirit of the user, the more powerful it would be. Which made this one in particular quite dangerous. The move had draw backs naturally, such as requiring recovery time afterward since it drained the user. Our position considered however, we needed a ranged move, and we needed a finisher. Our mobility was shot with that dragon breath injury, so further dodging theatrics would difficult at best, and we certainly couldn't close the gap to attack without a ranged move either. All things in perspective, this was our best shot.

It wasn't something I  _wanted_  to use, but in this moment, there wasn't another choice.

_**Bang.** _

An explosion rang out; Flygon had managed to move out of the way of the massive ball of energy at the last second, but not entirely out of harms way. Though it had avoided the locus of that massive attack, the sides of the energy wave came in contact with it's left wing, causing the orb to detonate.

I shielded my eyes from the dust the resulting blast kicked up, moving my hands a moment later to see a Pokemon drop from the cloud to the floor.

 **Thunk**.

Flygon landed with less grace than it usually would, landing belly first on the floor. Though it took a second, I managed to make out that it's wing was heavily beat up, even bleeding in some parts. Not only that, but it was twitching in pain.

_That attack was ridiculous._

"Well done Hariyama!" I shouted while smiling at my challenger.

A challenger who had certainly lost his smirk with the levelling of the playing field.

"Hariyaaaaaamaaaaaa!" My Pokemon answered, ending with a small grunt of pain, but no less joy.

Yes indeed. Speed was only a problem if he could move about, but with that wing so heavily damaged, it was unlikely that Flygon would be going anywhere soon.

"Don't think you've won yet!" Came a shout from my defiant opponent.

The fire in his expression from our previous match was back. It would seem I had peeled his layer of calm away with one attack, not surprising since it's whole basis for existing was just an extension of his mockery of me. Though I was certainly glad that he'd managed to keep most of his cool this time around and opted for a more strategically sound plan, I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice some of his old habits while he was doing it.

Even with his grand plan, Ruby still tried directing the battle with aggression. True, it wasn't straight-forward aggression like last time, but it was aggression all the same. For whatever reason, Ruby despised other people controlling his movements, or reacting to an opponent's moves. As a trainer, he preferred to be leading the initiative, to be on the offensive. Not because attacking meant winning, but because attacking for him meant never having to bow to someone else's lead.

 _Aggression was nothing but a cover for him_.

For what, I couldn't say. Most trainer's recognised the value of defender's advantage in proper matches; going last meant being given more information than your opponent for a counter attack, at the cost of information during the defence. Ruby didn't like playing it that way; caught in a corner and out of ways to win with speed, he still clung to such fiery tactics.

Flygon wasn't capable of the movements he needed for this, but the look in his eyes told me was going to try anyway.

_Speaking of which._

"Flitter, close in on him!" The red-eyed boy yelled, some of his anger bubbling to the surface.

The now upright flygon began running, occasionally stuttering in it's gait from the pain of it's wings. But still faithfully heading straight for Hariyama all the same.

_This boy just doesn't learn._

"Fine! Hariyama,  _weather the storm!_ " I shouted in response, ordering another general defensive stance.

It took time. A lot more time than would be usual for Ruby's Pokemon, before it managed to reach attacking distance. It was within three arm's length of Hari, and knowing Ruby, this would be his opportune moment to strike, or at least he would think it was.

"Flitter, dragon claw!"

_Surprise, surprise._

I waited patiently.

His Flygon jumped as far as it could, putting it's full body weight behind the dragon claw. Moving through the air with startling force, despite it's unusable left wing. Yet I had to wait for the opportune moment, the point at which Hariyama could guide that force with ease, directly into the floor like last time.

_Now!_

"Hariyama, take it for a spin!" I shouted with force and triumph.

Ruby had given into his usual instincts the moment I peeled away his layer of sarcastic wit. When faced with a problematic situation, Ruby could only really get mad in the end, he didn't know how else to deal with things on an instinctual level. Really, despite his age, he was still immature. Impulsiveness was a dangerous thing to have if one couldn't keep it in check, and he certainly had trouble doing that.

Not that it mattered now. Victory was at hand. Playing out before me in slow motion, I saw Hariyama lift it's left arm, ready to meet with Flygon's left as it attempted a dragon claw. Once caught, it would be a simple matter of Hariyama switching it's weight around to force the opposing Pokemon into the flo-

_**WHAT?!** _

"Hariyama,  **grab it NOW!** " I said urgently, realising that Hari's arm had stopped moving.

But it was too late. The instant I said something, time sped back up and the results played out like a train-wreck.

" **Hariyaaaaaaaaaaaa-!** " My Pokemon cried out with pain, being cut deeply across the left shoulder and down into the abdomin.

_WHY DID HE STO-?!_

_**Paralysis.** _

My panic-stricken mind had a moment of clarity as I realised just what had transpired. At first it all seemed to surreal and weird, after all, we hadn't sustained nearly enough damage to be unable to move. Yet, the moment it seemed off, I mentally reviewed the battle's events, only to come to the obvious conclusion I had somehow missed.

_Dragon's breath caused paralysis._

We'd been hard pressed to notice, since Hari had barely moved since sustaining that injury. But for it to happen during such a critical moment...

How coul-?

"Flitter,  _dragon claw again!_ " My challenger shouted victoriously, smile returned in full force.

This was bad, Hari was heavily injured already, and I knew it couldn't take another claw attack like that. Prolonging this would only cause too much pain. Somehow by a stroke of luck, our challenger had won, and I was not about to throw Hari under the bus because of it.

" **Stop! I forfeit, call it off!** " I answered with a yell, knowing full well I'd just given up the game.

But with Hariyama lying on the floor in agony, and at the mercy of that dragon-type, what other option did I have.

Ruby certainly didn't seem believing of his ears when he heard me, but after a second, and just before the claw hit, he called it off.

"Flitter, come back!" He shouted, recalling the tired and battered looking Pokemon.

In turn, I called Hariyama back into it's own ball before assessing the look of my challenger once last time. It wasn't anger, disappointment, annoyance, or any of the other emotions he subjected me to in the short time that I had known him.

_It was happiness._

The first, proper, genuine smile I'd ever seen from him directed at me. A smile I'd only ever seen once before; when he gave it to the sleeping Wally, as we put the boy to rest on his bed after the events of his challenge a few days ago. It gave a hint as too what Ruby could be like if he wasn't so uptight like he happened to be at every other minute of the day.

Still, expressions aside. I'd lost.

_Again._

My spirit was deflated, I was tired, and Hariyama was as worn out as he possibly could be. While bad luck had definitely been a factor in all of this, I had to wonder just how my challenger's had managed to improve even this much in such a short time-frame. Especially Wally. I just wasn't prepared adequately for either fight in the end, and that was my fault. Blaming bad luck would only get me so far, even if it was correct. My challengers had won fair and square after all.

Yep, when I came into the gym for practice today, I thought it would be dull like every other day before it. I couldn't have known how much of a workout I was to recieve when I walked through the front doors; not even an inkling.

_I just didn't have a clue._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! Hope you had fun in this weeks action feature (double action feature if you count last week).
> 
> Anyway, lets dig into what happened this chapter shall we?
> 
> First you'll notice the chapter name. Well in this week's chapter, I was focusing on Ruby, and again I used Brawly's perspective. That's because, while I wanted to show a battle, I also wanted to show some subtleties surrounding Ruby, and Ruby's relationship with Wally. There are a lot of things that Brawly can pick up on, being that he's a gym leader, so I added hints of that here and there. Not only does this help flesh out Ruby's character a bit more, but it also serves to show a few things by itself.
> 
> One great example is that Brawly makes the correct assessment that Ruby hates being on the defensive. He leads attacks, not because attacking is necessary, but because he hates to be the reactionary party when he can avoid it. This can say a lot about Ruby as a person, especially since he demonstrates quite clearly here how one bad thing can make his whole self-assured act give way to anger. Without really putting his character through traumatic events, I have still highlighted a lot of his tendencies this chapter and for good reason.
> 
> These tendencies give little hints to his past, and to why he might act the way he does. I used this chapter to put him through a mini-pressure situation and to show the reader facts about his character. I also may have used this week's chapter for the sake of demonstrating how partial Ruby is becoming to Wally. Wally has the ability to calm his tendency for rage, he can even act as an anchor point for rationality, even when the topic of said anger is Wally's own rash actions.
> 
> Anyway, I've rambled enough about Brendan's subtle personality hints, so lets get to the shout outs!:
> 
> As always, I'd very much like to thank Mitsurausu and Luenick for their continued support in helping me to make this fic a reality. Really, it amazes me every day how far this thing has come, and you two contribute so much to my motivation.
> 
> Well, with the shout outs done, I'll bow out for a bit, but not before reiterating the important announcement from above. Next week, due to me being roped into a trip into the middle of no where, I won't be able to write due to lack of computer/internet. The week after though, chapters will continue on a weekly basis, as is the norm.
> 
> Anywho, I'm gonna go; stay safe readers, and have a wonderful day!


	24. Nav-blocked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! Glad you turned up this week because I have important announcements to make. First, and probably the happier of the two announcements: The slateport arc is upon us, rejoice! Secondly, due to personal factors, involving social, work, and individual commitments, I have become, well, overworked. Weekly releases are tight on my schedule and it's begun really feeding into my stress levels. So in order to reign that in, and maintain a healthier life balance for myself, I'm going to cut back the weekly releases to fortnightly. This is saddening news, and I don't want to have to say it, but weekly releases are really beginning to take a toll on me.
> 
> Originally, this fic was not planned to be released weekly, on the grounds that I didn't want something I found fun to stress me out like a job would. Unfortunately, if I keep going at my current pace, it will. In order to keep myself sane, and to also ensure each release is made with the care it deserves, I'll be cutting back the schedule, at least for now. If in future, more time frees itself up, I'll consider going back. But for now, I will be switching to fortnight releases.
> 
> With that negative news out the way, lets get to the heart of this shall we? Today's chapter will be quite the spectacle, especially if any of you have seen the spoiler image I posted for it on my DA. For those of you that haven't, don't worry, it doesn't give away much (though it was definitely funny). Either way though, shout outs/chapter dev notes are at the bottom, and I'll leave you to have fun with this week's instalment. See you at the bottom reader!

**_FUCK._ **

[ _Master! Your emotional aura is in turmoil, you need to retain focus on the-_!]

" **I am well aware of that Nin!** " I barked, anger still flaring as I ran, my lucario not far behind.

We'd just escaped an assault. Team Magma had responded much sooner than I had anticipated and I had no idea how. Jigo's reports never suggested that they had acutely tuned sensory Pokemon like Nin to find us.

_So then how the fuck **did**  they manage to find us?!_

I didn't know, and not knowing was only making me more angry as we fled. I might be the champion, but dealing with the twenty-something Magma goons and Courtney on top of that? The odds were so far stacked out of my favour that I had no choice. Our only saving grace was Ningendou, he alone had given me the early warning.

When my Pokemon told me that he could sense more than a dozen aura's closing in fast on our position, I couldn't believe it. The news got even worse when I was told of how they were surrounding us. Which meant that they not only knew our general location, but our exact position relative to theirs.

_I had no choice._

Anger wouldn't change it, I had no recourse but to flee, I couldn't take them all. In the end, I'd gotten a decently sized chunk of information on Aqua. But for all my my achievement, and lack of reason to be annoyed, I was still going to be  _very_  mad.

So I was. I kept fuming, feeding the fire in my chest as me and my Lucario descended into the grassy fields below the mountains. My black shoes trampled the grass underfoot as we both sprinted. Running from the pursuers behind us. I didn't dare look back, knowing that hesitation brought us closer to capture; no, it would be best to keep our eyes forward. That said, this high cut grass was making running at full pace difficult, it was all I could do to keep the pace.

[Master, they are gaining on us! We need to hurry!] Nin shouted into my mind in panic.

_For Arceus's sake._

Their aura's must have gotten closer. We  _could not_  afford to be caught here though, we had information that was far to important to lose. This region depended on us to keep the peace;  _failure was not an option._

"We don't have much longer to go Nin! We just have to make it to town!" I shouted, picking up my running pace as my Pokemon did the same.

It was true, the town wasn't far, and Magma wouldn't be stupid enough to run headlong into a populated area with it's accompanying police force. Especially since I was in charge of that force; a fact which Courtney no doubt made her rescuers very aware of. But even if we were to escape, there was so much that needed to be done.

Jigo had already returned to me with plenty of information, yet we where none the wiser about Team Magma's plans. We managed to discern Aqua's next target, and even had a rough time approximation of when it would come under siege.

Disregarding that even, it didn't change the fact that somehow we'd been found during our interrogation. I was positively fuming with rage over it; my face was likely contorted into the heaviest scowl possible right now, it was just too co-incidental. Courtney had to have done something, something to alert her Team, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what...

I thought about it over and over as we ran. As we deserted out vantage point and fled the scene to avoid ruining what lead we did have. My footsteps were brief as I dashed across the field below the mountain, finally reaching the bridge that lead towards Fallarbour. Yet each step was filled with uncertainty and anger; I didn't have all the answers I wanted, and my plan to cleanly finish this all myself had seemingly dissolved. Magma was aware of me, they knew I was watching, and that scrapped my primary advantage.

This rage being my primary motivation right now, it certainly helped me to keep up my speed. It wasn't long before we'd reached the other side of the bridge, getting ever closer to the borders of the township. Which of course was good news, but it didn't lighten my mood any.

That said, with any luck, Steven might have done better. He might have even realised Aqua's escape and hunted for evidence they left behind.

_What am I saying? he wouldn't do anything that useful._

[Master, we're safe I think, they stopped following us] Nin told me as we ran past Fallarbour's borders.

We hadn't dared to look back once during our escape, not for fear of capture, but now that we had come close to safety it appeared they gave up the chase.

[Their aura's are fading, they're going back to the mountain I think.] Nin continued.

_Excellent._

We had escaped, which was probably the one bit of good news we had, other than our lead on Team Aqua, and now we could rest up at the Pokemon centre. The red building in the middle of this sleepy place that I was sprint-walking towards, followed closely by a trail of almost electric anger.

Speaking of Aqua, the likelihood of Steven having gained any lead on them was probably nil at best. Naturally my emotional...  _unrest_ , probably contributed to that attitude, but Steven was the worst champion I had ever seen. He avoided the public eye, despite knowing his responsibility as a figure for his region. Not to mention he always took leave to run off for his rock collecting 'hobby' and whatever else that crossed his mind.

It wasn't likely at all, and it was even stupid of me to expect results from him. Yet, when I entered the Pokemon centre; looking a lot worse for wear, that's what I was hoping for. Any information we could get would be better than nothing.

"U-uh, are you ok miss? Do you need attending to as well o-" Asked the nurse as I approached the counter with a charged gait.

"No, I'm not here for a check up. Heal Nin over here." I interrupted and pointed at my lucario. "And this one as well." I finished, handing her Jigo's Pokeball.

"Please." I added for the sake of politeness.

The nurse smiled, likely forced since my attempt at being nice was more pointed than I had intended. But there was little worry for apologies right now, I had a lot of work to do, and I was going to start by checking on the other investigator involved in this. I pulled out my Pokenav and turned on the signal again. Previously I had it off to avoid radio wave detection devices, and any other sensory machines Magma might have installed, but here I was free to use it as I needed to.

Of course, after turning on the signal, I was surprised to even get a notification stating that Steven had in fact messaged me  _about his job_.

_Miracles do happen huh?_

But I didn't bother to read them, it'd be much easier to contact him directly. Calling him and getting a verbal report would allow me to ask about particulars, and also inform him of the next stage of my plan.

I keyed in the numbers for his nav and waited as it rang.

 _ **He better pick up**_.

* * *

The sun shone brightly in the sky, it's gentle but firm afternoon glow cast delicate shadows over this paradise of a city.

Me and my boyfriend Wallace met up not far from the docks where I touched down, and had spent the previous hour or so doing nothing but talking. At first we settled for a bench overlooking the body of water in the centre of the this serene place. Wallace used the time to tell me how much he missed me and then told me of all his recent challenges. He talked and talked about his poetry, and even a song he'd been writing.

It was all I could do to listen. Wallace's voice was like a melody; gentle and precise. Yet still soft and un-imposing. His turquoise eye's would light up whenever he talked of his hobbies too; matching the vibrance of his turquoise hair, and the brightness of his white suspenders and purple crop top. It was honestly surreal how smitten I was with him, and the more I was away on work, the worse it would get.

You couldn't attribute it to just looks either; Wallace had the personality of a saint. He was kind, charitable to a fault, and deeply understanding of those around him. Yet he wasn't quiet either, he was social and outgoing; he was a lot of things I just wasn't, and more besides.

Sure, he had his flaws; everyone does, but compared to half the people I'd been dealing with lately, Wallace as an angel sent from on high. His company; the comfort it provided me, even if direct affection was impossible outside the confines of his villa, it was all worth every effort spent to get here.

Just being near him made the day more luminous and mellow, but that wasn't it. Oh no, we had an entire afternoon planned to make up for lost time, and I couldn't wait. All we had to do was make our way back to his villa.

I couldn't display my affection in public, or even talk about it given the climate, which definitely put a dampened mood on things. Despite that however, it was still enjoyable. It had been a long while since my last visit; my life as champion saw to it that I was busy most of the time, but now I didn't have to worry about that. The villa would provide us sanctuary; a refuge we would gladly take.

Yes, just thinking about it had me smiling like an idiot, and more than once Wallace chuckled at me for it as we walked towards his home. Of course, that only widened my smile more and more as we made our way up the next flight of stairs on our way, arriving at the top with energy in our steps. Only one more flight to go and we'd be home fre-

**Beep beep.**

**Beep beep.**

**Beep beep.**

_No._

The sound was ominous, but I knew  _exactly_  what it was and I hated that.

I didn't want to answer it's call; the beckoning of it's drone only promised more trouble, it always did. Trouble wasn't something I could deal with right now either, since I'd been having the best day of my week out in Sootopolis with my boyfriend.

_Tune it out, it'll go away if you just tune it out!_

I focused in on Wallace, hoping to remove that horrible beeping from my mind. Only to have the focus broken by the very thing I was using to avoid that Arceus damned sound.

"Steven, are you all right?" He asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

**Beep beep.**

_There it is again, dammit!_

"Steven." The voice said my name again, causing me to look up. "Are you ok?" Wallace repeated, more concerned this time.

He was worried for me, and I couldn't blame him either. Deliberately spacing out to avoid a phonecall would be a weird thing for anyone to do. Yet, that Pokenav of mine was bad news, or at least I could guess so with Ninety-Nine point Nine percent accuracy. Nothing good  _ever_  came from answering it, or even looking at the caller ID for that matter.

**Beep beep.**

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I responded hastily.

I took a little too long to formulate a sentence, since the barrier between thought and the world around me was broken forcibly, mostly because I was busy trying to come up with a way out of answering the stupid thing. Yet I recovered well enough from my lack of a plan; still dreading the beeping sound of course, and hoping it would disappear completely before I had to do anything about it. If it did, we could continue our plans for the day.

**Beep beep.**

"You should probably answer that then Steven, it's been ringing for nearly a full minute now." My boyfriend said, gaze softening when he realised I was responding to him properly now.

_Dammit._

Self-distraction wasn't going to work, and Wallace probably expected that I answer it. There was no leaving it be, however much I wanted to. My only hope would be if the caller gave up; surely forty-ish seconds was a long enough call? It can't be that important that they'd keep going past that-

**Beep beep.**

_Arceus fucking damn this cursed beeping; who's even calling me right no-_

_**Cynthia.** _

The name on the front screen of the device read as I picked it out of my pocket. I felt my blood turn to ice, and all the cheer I had for the afternoon died within that dreadful second. It was all I could do to not turn pale; of all people, why her?! More to the point in fact:

_Why now?!_

**Beep beep.**

It wasn't going to stop. Cynthia would let it ring until the device ended the call automatically, then she'd try again. I had to answer, ignoring her would be impossible. Wallace wasn't likely to let me leave it be either, though in his defence he had no clue how much I hated answering my work Pokenav, so I couldn't blame him for it. Plus, if I did actually ignore Cynthia, I'd have to detail all the most recent events to Wallace, and he didn't need that stress. Not to mention all the shit Cynthia would give me for not answering the first time...

I had to handle this problem, now, and alone.

**Bee-**

_Click._

"Hello Cynthia." I stated as coldly as I could after bringing the nav mouthpiece up to my face.

I didn't want anything to do with her right now. In fact, she was the last person I wanted to see out of everyone on this miserable earth. With the exception of Cassandra of course.

Just when I thought I'd have a moment to relax, she returns. Like an ill omen of my untimely demise, she always managed to show up at the worst possible point, and I was tired of it. No doubt I'll get blamed for something too, even after answer and despite the fact that I already gave her all the information I had in text format. Really, what could she have been doing that was so important that she couldn't even answer my messages that way the firs-

" _Steven._ " She stated with veneer of calm so thing I could hear it tearing in her voice

And just like that, all my confidence evaporated.

_She was pissed._

_**Really pissed.** _

"Y-Yes?" I stated somewhat weekly, finally registering the exact amount of malice with which she said my name.

_It was a lot more anger than usual, that was for sure._

"Do you have  _anything_  to tell me about your mission?" She asked with her obviously false calm.

_What?_

"Uhhh, Cynthia, I sent you all I had in those texts remember?" I replied quizzically.

There was no lie in that either. I had sent her all the things I managed to learn about Aqua; or at least what little I could salvage anyway, in those messages. Didn't she read them? If not then why call me at all? It would have been so much easier for her to do that, and it would have spared me the issue I was having now.

_Arecus damn, she's fucking annoying._

"I didn't bother to look at them; I figured a verbal report would help fill me in  _a lot_  better."

_In other words, you just wanted to spite me?_

"Ok?..."I responded, anger just  _barely_  seeping in, but not yet audible.

Cynthia said that last part so coldly she may as well have been an ice-type Pokemon. What soured her mood so badly that she would go out of her way to torment me? From memory, I hadn't done anything of late that could incite that kind of anger. Unless she already knew abou-

I shot Wallace a sideway's look; a mix of confusion, irritation and fear.

_Not anything she should know about anyway?_

I expected an accusation, and I was hoping it wouldn't involve her knowing anything of my whereabouts. Yet only awkward silence hung in the air; apparently she expected to continue. Not that I really wanted to, but the quicker this call ended, the better.

"W-Well... I found their hideout." I started tentatively.

" _And?_ " Cynthia responded, facade of patience almost cracking.

Not that she should bother hiding, it was fairly obvious she was pissed off with something.

"There wasn't anything left of any value in it. I think they fled, it's even possible they knew we were coming. All I got in the end was a reference to a meteorite, a strange orb and some kind of map of the sea." I said, keeping a business-like tone so as to not set her off.

Though, I couldn't deny that I wanted to, at least for a small bit of revenge, and her unjust treatment of me. Everything I said was truthful anyway. That was all I had found, and as far as I knew, it was the only lead I possessed on my mark. Obviously it was confusing, and I couldn't make heads or tails of it right now, but it was better than nothing at all.

In response, I heard a long, forcibly protracted sigh echo through the ear piece of my Pokenav.

"So did you find  _anything_  of  _actual_  use, or are you wasting my time like usual?" She said, tipping the sentence in a hint of anger.

_Ok, no, that's it._

That  _wasn't_  justified. I'd done everything I could do, I didn't deserve this; I didn't deserve any of the crap she gave me. Did this woman have any clue how difficult the situation had been? What did she expect me to do? Make Aqua materialise from thin air?

_In fact, what gave her the right to just demand this information, when I'd already given it to her earlier, and then just insult me for it?_

"Did you?" I asked pointedly, my will from earlier bubbling to the surface again.

" _Fucking excuse me?!_ "

 _..._ Only for it to be pushed all the way back down.

"I hate to break it to you, but compared to me, you've done nothing but play class dunce, asshole! Do you have  _any_  idea how fucking hard it was to outrun Magma in fucking  _heels_? Actually, scratch that, do you have any clue how to do your fucking job anyway?!" She spat through the line.

I was pretty sure Wallace heard that line through the Pokenav, since it was practically screamed into the receiver. He gave me the oddest look, and for a moment I thought I should hang up. But I knew better than that; the easiest way to deal with this would be to just let it pass. Apparently Cynthia had a very good reason for being busy after all. Magma was aware of her; truth be told, I wanted to ask how, and why, but I also knew better on that for now too. If Cynthia was this angry, I wasn't the one who would be asking questions.

_But I wasn't about to just bend knee to her mood._

"Yes.  _I do._ I found no leads despite trying. Seriously Cynthia, there's nothing I can do ok?" I said, pleading the logic of the situation.

She at least calmed down a fraction, given that she didn't shout immediately down the line, but I knew it wasn't over. Cynthia was far from done with this.

"Where are you right now?"

_Fuck._

If I answered that and gave a location in front of Wallace, he would find it off. I didn't want him to know I'd been taking under-the-table breaks to go see him. But I didn't want Cynthia to know where I'd been. The choice was between Wallace's happiness, or Cynthia's appeasement.

_Obviously it would be Wallace's happiness hands down._

Yet maybe I could negate my location's relevance all together, there might be a way to spin the conversation away from it, but only if I knew the cause for such a question.

"Huh? Why?" I replied, trying to sound confused.

Cynthia sighed before she spoke again. Her patience was especially thin today.

" _Because_ , I happened to have secured a lead on Aqua where  _you_  failed, and I need you to fly back to Rustboro. We have a huge operation to set up and we need the most skilled Hoenn police division you've got on said operation." She stated matter-of-factly.

_She found a lead?_

Though, not surprisingly, that wasn't the biggest problem. I was definitely happy she had one, since it would take me a step closer to getting back at Aqua for stealing my prized mega-evolution research. However, it didn't solve the fact that apparently it required the best of my law enforcement; or the problem that my current location was not a fact I could gloss over as I had wished.

_Damn it._

"I... errr... I'm in s-sootopolis right now, but how did you get a lead on Aqu-"

"And why the  _fuck_ are you in Sootopolis? Weren't you supposed to be in Lilycove? Or better yet, on your way back to report to me?!" She spat, façade once again giving way under the strain of her rage.

_Oh sweet Arceus why?_

The one question I couldn't answer. 'Sorry Cynthia I just wanted to see my boyfriend', yeah, like hell that'd work. Even if it did, there was no way I'd ever tell her either. Cynthia had insulted me, wanted to throw me and my police force around like we were her puppets, and now expected to know every detail about where I'd been?

_No._

I'd taken enough from this hag. I didn't care if she'd rip my throat out for cutting out on her, in fact, I hoped she would simmer on what I was about to do until I got back to Rustboro,  _Just_  for the sake of my satisfaction.

"Look,  _you_ didn't message me back, so I went and  _investigated_  my own leads ok?!" I shouted down the line, losing patience for this horrid conversation. "And don't you worry, I'll return right the hell now if you want.  _Steven out_." I yelled into the mouth piece; hanging up immediately afterwards.

Akward silence hung in the air as I sighed, palming my forehead out of frustration. I put the damned device back in my pocket and groaned a little as well. Shaking, I could feel myself shaking. It was small, but I noticed it. Apparently being calm around Cynthia was a hard thing to do, but I'd definitely gone and done it now. Out of a moment of blind rage, I basically told her to get lost; I'd be feeling the pain later, that was for sure.

_But it was still worth it._

"Steven? Is everything all right?" I heard a gentle sound reverberate in my ear.

It's suddenness cut through the silence, but gently, like it had hovered in on a cloud rather than crashed. It was Wallace; who I'd completely forgotten was listening in on that conversation.

_Shit._

I gave my biggest smile, trying to recover the situation as best I could. He had no clue about the region's current troubles, or even my own personal 'problem', but he didn't need to. He did not need to have unnecessary worry for things I could deal with alone. The less he knew about any of this, especially that hag Cynthia, the better off he'd be.

"Y-Yeah. Everything's fine. Work's just a bit...  _crazy_  right now." I said reassuringly.

Lying through my teeth,  _especially_  to Wallace, really wasn't my forte. Yet I was adamant on him not having to deal with anything he didn't have to. If lies could prevent his involvement, then I was going to do it, even if it left a foul taste in my mouth.

"It sounds it, especially if Cynthia's on the case and she's  _that_ mad." He stated while folding his arms.

Not surprising that Wallace knew of the famed black Contessa, any member of the official leagues of each region would quite aware of who she was. Well, they usually sung her praises for being the best investigator around, and a good champion at the same time, but they clearly hadn't seen what a bitch she could be.

"Yes well, she's had a busy case, it hasn't helped her mood any." I said, shaking my head at Cynthia despite her not being here.

_That and she really is just moody period._

To be fair, neither of those statements were false either. So at least I had that going for me on my truth record. Not that Wallace would be aware of that, but I'd take it into consideration for the day's efforts at least.

"I take it that means you plan to leave then?..." Wallace spoke again, sighing before continuing. "... You only just got here too..." He finished, giving a half smile.

Even with me having to desert him unjustly like this, he was still happy?...

"Yeah... If I don't follow her orders, she'll probably get even more mad." I said, trying my best to return his half smile, but falling short.

_I don't want to leave; it's comfortable here._

Wallace chuckled, gesturing to bow.

"Well, Mr. Champion, don't let someone like me keep you from saving the day." He said teasingly, rising again to meet my gaze with a smirk.

_You're too perfect._

I embraced him on instinct, surprising him and removing the smirk in the process. My stride was lightning quick, almost to fast to notice in fact. Still, It was gentle despite that, but he certainly hadn't expected it; we were in public view after all. That said, nobody was around to see us right now. We'd be fine, and a hug didn't have to mean anything to the outside world either even if we were caught.

As Wallace processed what just happened, I tightened the embrace tenderly, trying to convey my appreciation of him wordlessly.

"S-Steven?" Was all he could say to it.

"I'll be back soon ok, I just have a lot to do at work right now. I promise, the very second I'm free, I'll be back here quicker than you can blink." I began, bringing my face closer to his ear for the next part. "... And when I do, I'll be sure to make up for this missed visit." I whispered gently, before breaking my embrace.

Only to find him smiling again, apparently my cheesy antics were amusing.

"Well... best not to drag this out then." Wallace said, smirk returning as he flicked back some of his beautiful turquoise hair.

I couldn't help but to smile at him; he always took things gracefully. Like flowing water, Wallace could adapt to every situation and every person. Rarely mad, always kind; he had everything I lacked.

"All right." I said, pulling out Athena's Pokeball. "Take care Wallace!"

I didn't bother tossing the ball, I merely released it's mechanism and summoned Athena in mid air, just beside me. Without another word between us, I hopped onto the steely-cold back of my Skarmory. Wallace only watched, his faint but soft grin the only avenue of expression.

"I made a promise and I intend to keep it..." I told him seriously.

He merely nodded in response, so I nodded back and told Athena to go. Without delay, my Pokemon squawked at me faintly and took off, taking me with it as we both flew out of Sootipolis and toward Rustboro.

I could have sworn Wallace uttered something as we left, but he was still smiling when I looked back; peaceful as ever, so I dismissed it. Of course, regardless of the circumstances, he'd forgiven me for leaving so soon. Something Cynthia was completely incapable of doing; she also had a bad habit of getting on  _every **single ONE**  _of my nerves. She was the person who ruined today's visit, not me, and while I was certainly sorry that Wallace had to suffer for it, I wouldn't apologise to her even if she demanded it after all this.

_Not in a million fucking years._

* * *

"Wooooooow, another big cruise ship Ruby?" I asked with wonder, looking up at the ship from dockside.

Ruby merely nodded at me as I followed him along to the boarding stairs, a smirk forming on his face; he really enjoyed spending his money on stuff like this. Still, I guessed this was his way of making up for all the talking he did earlier. He almost ranted my ear off in that gym because I used Forsythe so dangerously.

 _'You can't be doing that!', 'What if you get hurt?!'_  and  _'That's reckless!'_  were just a few of the things he'd said. Yet in the end, he didn't outright scold me. He cared for my safety, but he was also showing regard for my freedom, and in my mind, that made him the best kind of person already. Originally he was more assertive on it, but lately he'd been easing up on the whole thing. Only when I used it as foolishly as I did with Brawly in the second battle did he say anything about it.

It lent warmth to my chest to know he cared enough to only advise, instead of limit my freedom. I didn't know why really, but I felt happy; understood.

It was that understanding that I clung onto; that kind of friendship that drove me to be so reckless to begin with. In the end, I was trying so hard not only for the sake of my own strength, but also to prove to him that I was worth keeping around.

It was moments like this one, as I reached the bottom of docking station for our vessel and took in the size of the ship we were about to board, that I felt like he really did think I was. He spent so much, did so much, all for my sake. It made me feel strange, but not the odd or sickly kind of strange. It was the warm kind, the kind that felt like the scenery around me. The soft sunlight caressing the wave's below the boarding stairs as they gently hit the harbour's surface and the ship's underside; the ambient, almost invisible heat in the air that gave a relaxed feeling to atmosphere as we ascended to the top of these stairs.

It felt  _almost_  exactly like that. To make it better in fact, said feeling was amplified by another, more in the moment emotion. Excitement, for the where we were going; for the future.

"Please show me you're boarding pass sir." The gruff looking man at the top asked as I hopped on board after Ruby.

"S-Sure." I responded, handing him my ferry pass to Slateport before I strode onward to keep up with my companion.

_Yup, I just couldn't wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader!
> 
> This week we see a lot more of the plot lines that were taking a back seat to the second gym challenge. As we can see here, Cynthia's been having a hard time and has been taking this out on Steven. I have development in mind for these two, so that by the end of the fic they will act differently toward each other (they won't be shipped together though, obviously steven is too smitten with Wallace, and Cynthia loves her job more than any human). Hopefully at the end of it all, their working relationship will have as much depth as the other types of relationships I'll be demonstrating in this fic.
> 
> Regardless of those two of course, we also see Wallace this chapter, as well as a small elaboration on who he is as a person. He and Steven will also have a fair amount of development (it would be a flat 'as is' ship, though compared to some in this fic, it will be more peaceful. But it certainly won't be stagnant.). Still, Wallace has his own life outside the gym, and his personality is quite a contrast to his boyfriend, something which said boyfriend finds charming. Really, it's kind of funny how in love Steven actually is as I wrote this chapter, and I'll admit I was tad shameless and idealogical with it, but that's just the dynamic I want to start off with those two. Especially since I can use their struggles, past, and current relationship with each other as a parallel for Brendan and Wally's burgeoning relationship together.
> 
> Also worth noting is Steven's small but noticeable hero complex. He want's to protect Wallace from everything, despite Wallace being a capable human being in his own right. Of course, he's doing this out of kindness because he believes he can deal with the burden himself; something which isn't surprising given Steven's stubborn personality. But that's not always a good thing, and it's something I will be keeping for later, because development. It should also hint at how Steven is with the populace at large when he isn't being bugged by flawless Sinnoh inspectors or old contest goers with rampant offspring. He is a nice person, despite being our current antagonist. Still, that only more fuel for the fire when conflict arises, but that's a topic for a later date.
> 
> Either way, this chapter revealed a few interesting things about the characters as they are, and a few other things besides. The most notable one being the transition from Dewford to Slateport via Wally's perspective, with a little explanation of the current state of our heroic duo for good measure.
> 
> Anywho, without me rambling further, I'll get to shout-outs!:
> 
> The biggest shout out to Mitsurausu/ChataleinWally your input is always valued. Yes I know I put you in here with every release, but there is a reason. You inspire a great deal of effort on my part, a lot of which goes into this fanfiction. Your contribution can not be understated, not in the slightest, I literally can not thank you enough.
> 
> Well, with the shout out's done, I'll give the reminder that the new release schedule is fortnightly not weekly like it was before. I have a whole heap of reasons why, but it boils down to stress and workload basically. I'm sorry I had to do this, but I didn't have much of an option; please forgive me for it. Anyway, I'll not end the chapter on a negative note, so I wish all my readers a happy and wonderful day!
> 
> I'll see you all in two weeks time!


	25. Retail therapy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! I've got the next chapter for you! I've decided that I'll be focusing on Wally/Brendan for the next chapter as well as this one, purely because we haven't had a pure-fluff chapter in a while (which is basically what this chapter is). Of course, you'll also notice the fun little thing at the end of this chapter.
> 
> Anywho, I apologise for my slight lateness, I did indeed finish on time, but to upload the chapter required an A/N to be finished, and I had almost burned out after finishing the proof-reading for this in the early hours of the morning. As a result, I had to wait till the morning to write up an A/N for it. Regardless of that though, I am here now and I bring with me a new, and incredibly fluffy chapter.
> 
> So fluffy in fact that it's mainly about our protags, because obviously some fluff just before the Slateport arc kicks into high gear is probably what is needed. Anywho, I'll state that as usual, shout outs are at the bottom, as well as chapter dev notes. Either way though, I'll let you all dive into it; Have fun readers!

All in all, I was glad to finally be rid of that island. True, it was sleepy at best; the only attractions for Dewford was the gym itself and that... weird... gossip house? Whatever it was, it was the lesser of the two reasons to visit the place. Personally, that island had been nothing but stressful. Loses, Wally getting hurt, terrible gym leaders; yup, our stay in Dewford had managed to flare up a good ninety percent of my nerves.

So yes, after all the effort both I and my travelling companion went to in order to get a badge, I was happy to have left. Even happier to be aboard another luxury cruiser, especially since I was already missing a decent bed. Sure the Dewford hotel had given me the best suite, yet, like everything else on that island, it was subpar at best.

Now, this ship on the other hand, it had  _everything_  I wanted. Well cooked food, a small pool deckside (smaller than the last ship sadly), and cozy bed suites. All of these things, and many more besides, I planned to take advantage of before we hit our destination. Of course, with the sun getting low in the sky, any pool-based fun would have to wait until morning. The flipside of this being that it was dinner time right about now.

My stomach growled at me in agreeance with the time, willing me to my goal, and I happily obliged. I rose from my seat on the warm deck, my feet escaping the deck-chair's confines and planting firmly on the equally warm lacquered wood beneath them. The surface had absorbed most of the dwindling rays from the sun, which made the floor warm to touch, but not so much that it burned. It was a mellow sort of warmth, the kind someone would be thankful for on a lazy evening.

 _What an evening it is too_.

I thought to myself as I took in the fast setting sun; picking up my pace in order to reach the dining hall. Thankfully, my room was on the way there and I could pick up Wally as a result. He'd opted to enjoy the comfort of our luxury suite and was playing with Anastasia and Xavier when I left him. Truth be told, given how I was feeling recently, I was glad that I got a little bit of piece. Yet, it also stung just a tiny bit. It wasn't uncomfortable by any means, it just felt odd to me whenever he wasn't with me. Having the green muffin-top around meant having someone else's opinion, someone who could talk about things. Silence in place of that, though not unnerving, certainly felt odd.

It was perplexing at best, and to be honest, I just wanted these feelings to disappear. Having them only made interaction that much more awkward and annoying, and I still had yet to name exactly what this feeling was. Said emotion was new to me, it was something I didn't know how to properly deal with.

As I continued my pace, bare feet landing each step with a dull thud, I conjured reason after reason for this new sensation. But to no avail, I couldn't find one. My only recourse was to continue hiding it as best I could, in the hopes that in time it would just go away. As I neared the hall door that lead to our suite I sighed. At the very least, we'd both get to eat like kings, even if one of those kings was having a small internal crisis tonight.

I almost laughed at that last thought, at just how silly it made all of this sound, even if it were true.

_What an evening indeed._

* * *

Amazement clutched at me as I sat here in the dining hall. True, I'd seen similar on our last cruise, but given just how big this one was, I couldn't help but be amazed. The room was covered top to bottom in all sorts of old-timey design. Imitation corinth pillars, red carpet floor with intricate swirling pattern and a collection of giant glass chandeliers gave this place an air of pomp. The whole room was illuminated by both the the lights above us, and the candle lights sitting atop each table in the room in sets of three.

Yes, the red candles and chandeliers cast a beautifully striking, yet softly muted gold glow. Add in the dancing floor, the well dressed waiters and patrons and it truly did fit the aesthetic it was going for.

Sadly, that very same aesthetic was what caused me to feel slightly out of place here. Just like last time, Ruby had gotten us passage on the most luxurious boat he could find, and he certainly didn't disappoint. The downside of this being that we were both dressed like... well, trainers.

The other people in here were definitely adults, sure, some may have been young adults, but they were still older than us that's for sure. Nevermind the fact that, given our gear, we stuck out like a sore thumb in a room full of people wearing shining dresses and jet black tuxedo's. Really, it's surprising we weren't told to leave for following this unspoken dress code.

Thinking about all of this only made me nervous, and if I got any worse I'd probably start shift in my seat. So to avoid the problem of looking agitated, I focused on Ruby, who was the only common thing in this room. In doing so, I blocked out everything else. Hell, I was pretty sure someone had even passed our table and dropped something in front of me, but I just kept focusing on my friend. All so I wouldn't be overwhelmed by my surroundings.

With this focus, I noticed the little details, as well as the big ones. Ruby was busy reading something; a fancy folding board like thing, so he didn't notice my staring. But I noticed everything. The crooked strand of brown hair only just jutting out of his beanie, how he seemed peaceful while he read the object in his hands, and the fact that overall, Ruby was in quite high spirits.

Yes indeed, Ruby was enjoying the cruise a lot this time around. I couldn't say what had changed during our last boat ride and now, given how little time there was in between, but somehow he seemed more content to just... Well, sit still. It made me happy all the same; since I met him he'd been serious wherever his goal was concerned. Sure he had an air of wit about him, but he was almost impossibly fixated on the conclusion of everything he did. It was all a means to an end; mellowness was working it's way in and it was a welcome change, if unexpected at the moment.

Eventually my focus on this fact dwindled into a more absent-minded daydream; everything else in the room but our table melted away. It was calming, serene even. Such a peace felt impossible to brea-

"So, what are you going to order then?" Came a question from nowhere; reality slapping me square across the cheek almost immediately as a result.

_Order?_

I blinked. Unsure of just what he was asking; confused, I searched desperately for an answer.

_What does he mean orde-_

My eyes caught the glimpse of an object on the table directly in front of me, one I did not place. Perhaps it was the thing I vaguely recollected earlier, or something entirely different. Whatever the case, it looked suspiciously similar to the object my friend was holding.

_It's a menu!_

I clicked. Though I felt a tad stupid for not noticing earlier. Now that I knew what he wanted, I definitely felt a lot less confused about this whole situation. On reflex, I looked at the menu, and then back at him, as if to affirm that the item he was holding and the one next to me were one in the same.

"Wally, order what you want, hell, have the whole menu if you like, I know how much you love food." Said the beanie-wearing boy with subtle smirk, just across the table from me.

_Of course, one thing didn't change._

Ruby's nonchalance with his seemingly ridiculous wealth.

I shifted in my chair a little uncomfortably. I'd since learned that Ruby wasn't doing this to help so much as it was just a habit of his; Ruby just enjoyed spending money. Yet he'd become more generous the more time went on, and he never seemed to have a limit on his spending to begin with. That was another thing too, I still hadn't found out where he got all that cash. I did try of course, I asked on our last boat ride.

The answer was simple, it was inheritence, but any mention of Ruby's family in front of him changed his mood so quick that it caused emotional whiplash. So to avoid this eventuality, I went along with the spending, I let him show his kindness to me. In some small way I was grateful he'd do so much for my sake.

 _But_.

That didn't explain how he had so much, and I still burned to know.

"Wally? You've been looking at that menu for a while now..." Came the voice of the boy in question.

I looked up, properly addressing him this time instead of just giving a glance. Only to be met with a warm, yet curious half smile, and an ever so subtle tilt of his head. Before I knew it, I was struck by an unnamed feeling right in the chest. It wasn't anger, or happiness, or even sadness. This feeling went unnamed as it travelled the rest of my body, causing a small blush to rise in my face.

"S-Sorry umm..." I answered on instinct, attempting to keep awkward, feeling-driven silences from entering our conversation. "I-I'll have the errr... the pecha  _parfae_?"

My eyes settled on the first word I recognised, in this case 'pecha', and I blurted out my choice, not really paying attention to what it was actually made of. Apparently that was a mistake because Ruby had a small fit of chuckling after I said it.

His laughter caused me embarrassment, but it also flared up the feeling from earlier, combining the two in such a weird mix that I was beginning to worry if I was even feeling a regular emotion.

"Wally- haha! It's- Ha!" Ruby began, attempting at composing himself to speak. "I-It's a  _parfait_  Wally!" Ruby told me, trying his best to not burst into another small fit of laughter.

_If pronunciation was the only problem then surely the choice was fin-_

"It's also a dessert, we haven't even had an appetizer yet! Plus, we're both too young to order that." He finished with a smile.

"H-huh? What do you mean?" I asked, confused as to how age was even relevant.

"It has alcohol in it Wally, It says that right next to the price tag." He responded, confusion becoming more apparent.

_Oh._

"U-Uhhhhhhh, I-I..."

I didn't know what to say to that really. I'd been caught up in thought and he ripped me from it, only for me to slip up. Frantically, and with as much normalcy as I could muster, I moved to look at the menu again.

Only to have Ruby solve the problem for me.

"Ok, well, I can just get us the seafood platter to start of with, and I suppose if you still  _really_  want dessert for dinner I can always get you a pecha  _sorbet_  instead or a  _parfait._ " He said chuckling again, placing emphasis on the pronunciation for comedic effect.

I put the menu down, glad that I didn't have to hurriedly say another menu item I hadn't fully read yet.

"S-Sure, that sounds good to me." I responded with relief.

Ruby took the answer, and our menus, and waited patiently for one of the waiters to serve us. Leaving me to stew on my earlier embarrassment in silence; allowing it to swirl about my headspace, mixing with the residual gratitude and that odd feeling from before.

Yet somehow, that unnamed feeling made it less uncomfortable.

* * *

I supposed that it was rather odd, though I certainly didn't notice at first glance. When faced with the information now though, it definitely made logical sense.

Through my lack of care for observation, I'd missed the fact that the cruise we were on had a great deal of people on it to begin with. Granted, cruise ships of that size would, but looking back on it now, it did seem excessive. Only now did I realise why.

As me and Wally walked off the harbour and onto the pavement at Slateport's shipyard I saw the first clue.

 _There was a heap of people_ _ **everywhere**_.

Hundreds in fact. In all my years of performing prior, I'd never seen the ocean-side city so busy. Yet, right in front of my eyes was a veritable swirling mass of people. At first, both me and my travelling companion were amazed. We navigated the crowds with shock, and even a little bit of awe on our faces. Wally even took the time to ask me what was going on, and for once I didn't possess the answer.

At least not right away.

Upon entering the city proper, we eventually came to the Pokemon centre. I figured it would be as good a place as any to gather information on what was going on. Still, even that took a while, since the sheer number of visitors to the place made for the longest line at the counter. However, after a gruelling twenty minutes of doing absolutely  _nothing_ , we came to the centre's desk.

"Hello sir, what can I help you with?" Asked the red-haired nurse at the counter.

Typical of most nurses of the Joy family she asked with a flawless smile. But then I didn't come here for pleasant conversation, however welcome it may have been; I came for information.

"Well, I just wanted to know why there are so many people in Slateport right now miss. I haven't visited this city often, but it was never this crowded before. I'm not entirely sure what caused it either." I spoke honestly.

"O-Oh! It's because this year's market festival is about to begin. People from every region flock here to browse all of the things our merchants have for sale." Joy answered, maintaining her smile all the while.

Well, that would explain the abundance of people. It was odd that I had not heard of such an event, but never the less, at least now I had the context for all this over-crowding going on. As expected, the nurse knew the information I was looking for, not all that surprising given that Pokemon centre's were breeding grounds for gossip.

"Anyway, would you like me to heal your Pokemon sir?" Asked the nurse, putting an end to any further questioning.

"No thank you, I just wanted to know what was going on is all. We'll be going now." I responded, gesturing to Wally at my side and then the door.

"Oh, Well, if your Pokemon ever need treatment, come and see me!" Joy said, nodding.

" _Will do._ " I muttered as I made for the door, not really caring to smile back at her.

Wally merely followed as per usual, probably in anticipation of what came next. Which raised the important question of exactly what could be done before we checked in. Thinking over it while I stepped out the Pokemon Centre door and into the fresh afternoon air around it, I came to the conclusion that it would probably be a good distraction if we checked this so-called 'market festival' for ourselves.

If nothing else, it would burn otherwise wasted time before we checked into one of the hotels around here for the evening.

* * *

Wandering around this market was like an adventure in itself. Stall after stall of merchandise, and the stall area was packed to bursting with people from all over the world. It was all I could do to stick to Ruby in the massive crowd. In fairness, I barely understood why Ruby took us here, but truthfully I didn't regret it.

I'd not seen this many people in one place before, nor this much... well, stuff. Every stall had a myriad of baubles, trinkets and other things besides. Enough so, that most of them even caught Ruby's attention.

It would have been the understatement of the century to say that Ruby had only bought a few things. Because, as usual, he spent a decent amount of funding at a few stalls. Yet strangely, the only thing he decided to buy happened to be clothes, rare Pokeballs, and even rarer spices and ingredients for his food. He didn't get more than he could carry, but he did fill his bag to the brim on our way through the bustling crowd of people and merchantry.

Of course, Ruby didn't leave it at just that.

As if to complete his spending binge, he bought me some art supplies for my drawing and a tiny ralts figurine made from clay, and apparently hand-painted to boot.

"Ruby, you really don't have to get me this stuff..." I said, finally deciding to state how I felt about all this spending on my behalf.

All the same, I took the figurine as he was halfway through giving it to me.

"I'm aware of that." He said a little too plainly for my comfort. "But I might as well; If I'm going shopping for myself then there's no harm in getting you a thing or two." He finished, not giving away anything in his expression.

Which was quite odd, it almost seemed like he was deliberately trying to hold such a plain look. Like there was something beneath the surface that he didn't want me to see. Granted, he was usually mysterious even at the best of times, so it wasn't out of the ordinary by any means.

_Something is different though._

I couldn't put my finger on it, but Ruby seemed more aloof than normal. True, I'd noticed this trend sooner. As far back as our boat ride out of Rustboro in fact, but it was only now beginning to make me really worry for him.

I looked at him in the eye, trying one last glance to see any give away as to why; anger, happiness, fear. Whatever in the world it could be, I definitely searched for it, but I found nothing in the end.

"I guess..." I finally responded in defeat, lowering my head a fraction to break the glance.

Truthfully I was still grateful for the gift; being bratty wasn't my favourite thing to be doing. Knowing what was bothering Ruby wouldn't come from refusing the gift either, so it's not like there was much point in saying no.

 _I just hope it's not me_.

* * *

Wally was certainly not acting himself at the market earlier, and it kind of unnerved me. To be fair, I supposed it was my fault for trying to avoid sounding emotive about anything, mainly because of  _that_  blasted emotion that kept getting in my way.

Of course it was a hair-brained idea to think that giving Wally gifts would lessen the feeling. But at this point I didn't have much better. The emotion in question didn't increase in intensity,  _yet it refused to dissipate anyway_. Which was frustrating, maybe even infuriating if I was being completely honest with myself. Getting mad would solve nothing though. After all, who was I supposed to be mad at? Myself? It wasn't Wally's fault at all for this, even if his presence happened to be a defining factor in all of this. Really, if only I could figure out exactly what my deal was, I'd probably find some way to rid myself of this problem.

Or so I summised as I walked into the reception area for the best hotel in slateport.

The place itself was definitely the spot I would want to stay in. From the psuedo-victorian outside, to the red-carpeted, heavily furnished inside. It exuded status and luxuary. Though the only thing I cared for at least was the luxuary. Obviously such pampering would carry a hefty price tag, but I had more than enough funding to stay at least a month in a place like this, probably even longer if I bothered to calculate it properly.

That said, comfort wouldn't solve my current predicament, but that didn't mean I couldn't try to solve it that way. A warm, soft bed, a hot shower and good food. Maybe all I really needed was to unwind for a little; let out some pent up stress perhaps. With the market festival in town, I had a good a reason as any to stay put for a short while. Of course, it's not that I was losing sight of my goal, or the fact that I wanted to achieve it quickly, not at all. I just needed time to think, to attempt to uncover and remove the source of this problematic feeling. Time which would be more effectively spent if I wasn't moving from place to place so often.

So a temporary break then; a holiday of sorts. We'd spend the whole market festival week here, and then it would be right back to business, whether or not I'd fixed the issue by then either. Obviously I wanted to fix it as soon as I could, but I wouldn't spend forever trying to do it either. Still, with that being said, I would probably enjoy a break just as much as Wally would at this point.

Exactly why I wasted no time in getting in line for the reservation of a room.

Truthfully, in the time it took for us to reach the counter, I'd already run through this internal discussion,  _twice_. Which was beginning to agitate me; thankfully, the last three people ahead of us were mostly quick, having apparently pre-booked over the Poke-net. Which I supposed would make it hard to get a good room, but then I didn't need the penthouse. Well,  _I wanted the penthouse_ , but it was a bad idea, it would attract far too much attention if I went to get that. Plus it was likely already taken. No, all I needed was a small, but comfortable room with two single beds, something that should be in high supply, even with how busy things were getting around here.

"Hello there..." I began, reading the name tag of the clerk sitting at the front desk. " _Stephanie_ , I'd like to book a room for week." I finished.

For her part, she gave an incredulous look, as if to say 'how would you even have the money to be breathing in here?'. Apparently my young age did me no favours; my wallet on the other hand...

"How much is it for a week exactly?" I asked with a grin, pulling out a wad of cash and splaying it across the counter.

Though it was momentary, the clerk responded with the smallest look of shock, followed swiftly by a smile.

_Yeah, that's right lady, I could afford this whole damned hotel if I wanted._

"Well, depending on the room, it could be anywhere between five-hundred to two-thousand a night. So a week's worth would be in the ballpark of two-and-a-half and ten-thousand dollars. Unfortunately, we only have one room available, due to the festival rush." She finished, still maintaining her service-bound smile.

_One room?_

Well, it was better than no bookings being possible. Plus, if it really was so busy that even the most expensive place was almost full to bursting, it was highly likely, if not certain, that every where else would be completely booked out. Meaning this was, logically speaking, the only room available right now.

_Thank Arceus for the luck on that._

"We'll take it. What's the specifics and how much?" I said, skipping to my point and bypassing the small talk clerks usually had with their clients about their travels.

"Well, the price is around four-thousand, unfortunately though, it's king-size single suite." She added, glancing at Wally, while seemingly holding in a chuckle.

_Wait. What?_

Did she mean tha-  _No fucking way._

_**No Arceus-damned way in sweet fucking hell.** _

After all the time I spent having to put up with this useless feeling being triggered by being in the room with Wally, I now had to put up with something even more awkward than that?!

" **You mean we have to share a fucking bed?!** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that's right, Brendan has to share a bed for a whole week with Wally. Isn't that grand? I think it is, and I have all sorts of HC's and terribly fluffy tropes to abuse with such a thing, it's going to be great. Also a good set up for a lot of the things that will happen later in Slateport, since this is just the beginning. I also had a segment where Brendan teases Wally a little for not reading his menu at the ship's dining hall. All just more fluff for the pile, along with other things I've thrown in there.
> 
> Another thing we see is that Brendan is actively trying to oppress and hide this feeling. This is mostly because he doesn't deal well with emotions as it is (dat ridiculous level of anger). But it might also have a lot to do with the subconscious denial he's got going on. True he's never felt romantic attraction, but even he's being dense if he doesn't know what's going on. Wally on the other hand doesn't deny it or try to get rid of so much as he's trying to understand it. Wally has been far more sheltered, and in his case, it's less about being dense and more just being clueless. Though, in saying that, given the right information he'll connect the dots a lot easier than Brendan, and probably be a lot less worried about it.
> 
> Either way, you'll notice the subtle parallel's drawn between them and Wallace/Steven. In this case, Brendan is doing the same thing as Steven; hiding things, the only difference being he's hiding things he's not understanding of. On top of this, Wally is clueless as to what Brendan is going through, similar to Wallace. Other parallel's are there, but they aren't as prominent.
> 
> Also funny that Brendan's chosen method of covering feelings is in fact shopping/spending money. Even funnier that he spends a good deal of it Wally like it's nothing.
> 
> But then the best thing of all is that Wally is aware of Brendan's emotional shift. Which given the context of the bed sharing, is now that much more important. True it's a common trope, but there was just so many fun things I could with it, I just had to use it.
> 
> In any case, I'll get to the shoutouts:
> 
> A shout out to Vocaloid-Bunni for their continued support of my fanfiction and being an avid reader (also for drawing sapphire, awesome work!), and a really big shout out to Mitsurausu for being my editor and overall supporter for this fic effort. Your advice and help has benefited this work a great deal, and it wouldn't be here today without you. Thank you as always.
> 
> Anyway, with the shout outs done, I'll grab my stuff and disappear. As always, have a safe and wonderful day, and I'll see you all in two weeks readers!


	26. Spoons, muffins and eco-terrorism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo readers, I apologise for my lateness regarding this weeks chapter. I had a few personal problems sapping at my motivation, and my mood for that matter, for about the past week. Everything seems to be working out fine now though (apart from the fact that I've gotten a little sick), so everything should return to normal. Anywho, I'd also like to point out that if I ever make an announcement, either regarding fic development or the timing of the next chapter should there be a delay, it will be stated on my personal blog on tumblr, or on my DA.
> 
> kailemonticgearon dot tumblr dot com (FFNet doesn't allow me to put proper URLS in my fics chapters sorry!) is the URL for my personal blog, but for those who don't want to go there, the DA link in my FFNet/Ao3 profile description will lead to my DA account, and by extension my fic announcements. I used to do announcements in my FFNet/Ao3 profile description, but it's a tad impractical and I decided to stick to using tumblr/DA for information I need to get out easily.
> 
> Still, disregarding all the talk about announcements and information sources, I do have this weeks chapter here for you, and it is an absolute treat in terms of character development. It also has a bit of fluff in it, as well as more perspective on one of the two teams plaguing Hoenn right now. While it was slow in coming, I did have fun writing this one, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
> 
> Anywho, I'll let you have fun readers, see you in the end notes!

_I can't fucking believe this._

Having to put up with everything, and then  _sharing a bed?!_

It was rotten luck, but the most maddening thing was that underneath all my anger, I wasn't actually annoyed.  _A part of me felt this was acceptable_. Which made this whole situation worse; of all the things that had to happen to us, sharing our sleeping quarters was not what I expected.

"A-Are you ok Ruby?" Came a tentative voice at my side.

I'd almost forgotten Wally was around, despite the fact that this situation involved him. Given that we had nowhere else to go, I'd taken the room anyway. That didn't stop me from being pissed off about it though, and I guessed that it showed a lot more than I thought it did. Especially if I let Wally notice it.

My hands gripped at the fabric of the bed's duvet; I sat down on the decently sized bed in our room in order to calm down. Apparently that had failed, and now I was at a loss for what I would say to my travelling companion.

"I'm fine." I stated as plainly as possible, trying to avoid letting any emotion out into my voice.

Because the last thing I wanted was for Wally to be aware of how I truly felt about this. Hell, I wished that I myself wasn't aware, it was that irritating. Why is it when I dug deep enough, I wasn't nearly as opposed to this idea as I should have been? The bed was large yes, but considering the both of us, it would still be a snug fit if we both slept in it. Something about the idea of Wally huddling so close; the warmth and comfort of someone lying near to me, especially if it were him…

_Focus Brendan! What the hell is wrong with you?!_

"I can s-sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag if it's too weird…" Said the green muffin-top nervously.

_Shit!_

He was trying to reassure me, and even offer me a way out, but it sounded absolutely horrible for me to kick him out of the bed for my own comfort. It wasn't his fault that I was so… ridiculous. Wally deserved better than that; even if the option was more emotionally palatable, I wouldn't allow it.

" _No._ " I began, not entirely certain of how to articulate the next sentence; instead, I decided to wing it. "It's fine Wally, I'm only annoyed that we didn't get a bigger bed, that's all. You can sleep in this one w-with me,  _It's fine._ "

Saying it so pointedly was unnecessary, but then I couldn't blame myself for being a little on edge. I supposed the reason why I was so mad to begin with wasn't the bed sharing, so much as it was that I was overreacting to it. It should be a non-issue, nothing more than an inconvenience, but thanks to my stupid feelings that wasn't true.

"Well… All right then, if you say so Ruby. I'll just go draw for a bit before we sleep." Wally announced, wandering over to his bag so he could pull out his drawing supplies.

_How do you treat this is casually as you do Wally?..._

It was an odd internal question I admit, but I was a little jealous of the fact that he didn't see it as a problem. If only I had that kind of nonchalant disregard for this situation…

_Well you don't._

Also true, and I had to deal with that. Even if I didn't want to. With a sigh, I let my grip on the duvet go and sauntered into the kitchen. Passing Wally on my way as he rummaged through his bag, still looking for that one HB pencil with a Minun on top that he loved to use; it was the only one he had since the beginning come to think of it.

Whatever the case, I needed a cup of coffee and something to do for the evening to keep my mind of this problem before it came time to face it. Since the only real hobbies I enjoyed doing of my own accord were battling and cooking, I settled on the latter. Doubtless the hotel staff would throw us out on the pavement if I tried to practice here.

Besides, making muffins sounded far less mentally taxing right now; tastier too if the end result was considered.

* * *

Ruby just kept getting stranger and stranger. To be fair, sharing the bed would feel weird, especially given all the strange things I'd been feeling lately. In the end though, sharing a bed was a simple thing. We'd had much worse; our battle with Brawly was cause for stress, but sharing a bed?

It honestly seemed like Ruby was overreacting somewhat, which in a sense, did beg the question of why? What about the bed sharing was so unsettling that he'd jump from one emotional extreme to another? I just didn't know.

Extremely unlikely that I'd find out why either, knowing how mysterious Ruby liked to be at times. Rather than focus my thoughts on searching for an answer I wouldn't get, I turned my concentration instead to my drawing.

Since we underwent a few days training in Dewford, I'd had little time to pursue my usual artistic hobby. Now though, without anything to distract me, I supposed was as good a time as any to pick up a pencil again.

_Or rather,_ _**the** _ _pencil._

I thought happily; humming lightly as I twirled my favourite creative tool in between my fingers once or twice. My Minun pencil was old, and as a result of having been used so much, it was very short. Yet I adored it; not just because it had a Minun figurine at the top, but because it was a gift from my grandfather. It meant a lot to me, despite being young as far as prized possessions go.

The pencil was my go-to for sketching and rough line art; at it's tip many a doodle were born. Now however, it was put to the task of something more complex than five minute doodle. I was drawing the city of slateport; having already taken the liberty of looking outside our window and combining the view with what I saw earlier today, it would be an interesting feat to replicate the city's view from my perspective.

My drawings always had details and wonder in them that I expected to go unnoticed half the time. Nobody could know how much being able to see and explore meant to me. I'd been cooped up so long; to finally have a taste of freedom was amazing. When I told Ruby that I wished to render every town we visited in lines on my book he assumed it was all for the sake of committing something to paper.

But it had more value than that.

These were my memories; the ideal of my mind's eye manifest through lines and colour. Every drawing had a little piece of me locked away in it, but none more so than my drawings of the cities. I'd tried harder than I ever had before on perfecting them, so I'd have something to remember my journey fondly when it was over.

_Or, if I disappeared on this journey, whether through illness or accident, someone else might get to see the world how I did._

It was a dark topic. Anything to do with my health usually was, but I was stable, if not in a slightly better state than I'd left in petalburg. That didn't make this any less necessary though, or fun for that matter.

The piece was coming along nicely too, I mean, I still was in the sketch stage and nowhere close to a finished result. That said, all the lines were coming together naturally; the whole landscape of the city as I saw it in my head was bright and fluid. A fact I'd managed to translate onto the page.

_Now if only I cou-_

"Wally." Said a voice out of the blue, disrupting my thoughts.

"Huh?" I responded, turning my head to find Ruby standing in the doorway holding something in both hands.

He had mitts on, and he was holding a tray of some sort. A metal tray lined with baking paper and topped with muffins. My mouth watered just a little at the thought; Ruby's skill in cooking and baking was without peer as far as I was concerned.

"C-Can I have one?" I asked timidly, pointing to the muffins and hoping the answer was yes.

Obviously, with Ruby being as generous as he was, the answer I wanted was basically decided.

"Of course you can, I didn't make all of these for just myself you know." Ruby said with a light chuckle.

He was making fun of me for the sake of upping the mood; maybe he felt responsible for the earlier commotion. Whatever the case though, his smile was definitely a welcome change, even if some residual agitation was evident. It was likely the muffins were just a distraction for him so he didn't have to think about sharing the bed with me. I couldn't say that for certain, but given that it was plausible, I decided against opening with the question that I wanted to ask.

_Why is sharing a bed a big deal?_

Instead, I just smiled back at him, getting up from my chair at the table so I could walk over and grab a muffin. They were chocolate flavoured from the looks of it, but with vanilla icing on the top and what appeared to be a tiny slice of pecha berry.

So not only were these glorious chocolate catastrophes appetising, they were also topped with my favourite type of berry, which really just made them so much more appealing. I grabbed on eagerly, taking a bite out of it almost immediately. Only to discover that there was melted, gooey chocolate on the inside too, hidden away behind a thick layer of fluffy baked goodness.

"T-Thez are r-realeh goodh!" I said on reflex, not taking the time to finish my first bite before exclaiming my delight with the treat I'd been provided.

As always, Ruby's food creations were remarkable, and while not the best dessert he'd made so far, they were a solid addition.

"Heh, I'm glad you like them." Ruby began, a smile making it's way onto his face. "Anyway, I'm gonna go have a shower and get ready for bed." He finished, a small glimmer of his previous unrest replacing the smile from seconds earlier.

Ruby placed the tray down at the table, taking care not to disturb any of my drawing tools, or the drawing itself as he did so. For a brief second he paused, as if to take in the drawing itself. A fact that caused a slight blush against my conscious will. Still, it wasn't a long moment, and he didn't say anything; a faint grin did however appear. But I didn't get a good look at it since he turned his back to me and headed straight for the bathroom.

A small part of me wanted to ask him what he thought of it; the part of me that wanted his approval and attention. I didn't really know why his grin made me happy, or why the prospect of an actual comment would make me happier; normally, my art was for me and me alone. Yet, that tiny indication of approval made my heart flutter for the upteenth time this week. My feelings were getting stranger and stranger by the minute; they weren't negative by any means, but I was unfamiliar with them none the less.

Curiosity would probably get the better of me eventually, and I'd try to reason out these emotions of mine. But for right now, I was content to just enjoy muffins, and the residual happiness that Ruby's grin brought me.

_There couldn't be any harm in doing that, could there?_

* * *

_Unbelievable._

Despite my best efforts to stay completely calm with the way things were going; especially after baking something to take the edge off of my annoyance.  _This happens_.

The bed was comfy, well worth the money, the problem involved the unfortunate fact that there was only one, with the only other option to be sleeping on the floor. Which would be more preferable than what just happened, now that I thought about it. In his sleep, and without warning, Wally huddled up to me. An almost-hug that reflected his less than conscious state, given that he wasn't awake to realise what he was doing.

His body was warm, and huddled this close was more comfortable than I would have liked to be the case. Well actually, no, the comfort was perfectly fine;  _the issue was the person giving said comfort._ Worst of all, despite waking up to this sorry state of affairs through the night, I suspected that I didn't grudge it at all, and I was right.

I knew sharing a bed was a bad idea, but lying here in the arms of someone who I didn't hate, even if by pure accident, was actually pleasant. Considering everything I was feeling recently, and now my feelings toward this fact, something that I found less than palatable became apparent.

_I was crushing on him._

Of all the idiotic shit for me to have ever done, this took the cake.  _But it was true._  As much as I wished it wasn't, there was no other answer that fit as well. Who would feel butterflies every time they saw the green muffin-top? Who would buy Wally things and treat him to homecooked food, save a person who was enamoured with him.

_Like I am._

A realisation that stung; especially so given the fact that Wally was spooning me in his sleep. Which was equal parts embarrassing and mortifying, never mind how comfortable it actually was. Because what exactly was that supposed to mean? Up till now I suppose I had been too dense to notice that I liked him, but that still didn't make the end result any clearer. There were too many reasons why this was a bad thing.

None of those reasons had to do with Wally mind; he was a good kid, and he was one of the nicer people around. No, the problem laid with me. The simple truth was that I was a boy; and beyond that, even though I hated to admit it, I used to be celebrity too. In region that looked down on even hints of relationships of boy meets boy kind, that didn't bode well at all. Not that I was entertaining the idea of that happening anyway, because I didn't want it to.

_Well, I do actually like the idea but…_

There was no way to tell if Wally would be ok with it; or even ok with just the idea of me having a crush on him, never mind reciprocation. Hell,  _I_  could barely deal with it. What's more, even if in some universe Wally would consider it, that didn't mean it would be a good idea either.

Hoenn wouldn't be kind to him. Plain and simply, if someone found out my identity, not only would Wally find out about who I really was, but the world would find out about him in return. The idea of the timid green munchkin having to put up with the paparazzi and the fans like I used too, including all of the prescribed roles and expectations; as well as their unjust hate… He didn't deserve that.

"Mhhhhhhh." Uttered the boy I was thinking of as he shifted, huddling a tiny bit closer and resting his forehead against my back.

_Arceus fucking dammit._

I didn't need was the  _last possible thing_  that I wanted to deal with right now. It was actually preferable that I had no clue on my feelings like I did before, but Wally's sleeping antics made staying ignorant a difficult thing. Now that I was aware, there was no way to avoid it. This would colour our interactions; make me even more awkward around him and give me reason to feel worse still for me lying to him.

_As if I needed that._

* * *

"Sir?" I asked quizzically.

I had every right to as well; I respected our leader, but to order me to frontline this mission? My talents lay with espionage and under-cover work. Direct assaults were the forte of my contemporary; the second Aqua admin Matt. For good reason too, it's not like the oaf was good for much else  _besides_  frontal assaults.

"Shelly, know yer place. I want you t'ah lead this mission. Understand?" Archie responded, not caring for my disagreeance.

Of all the things I had to get tasked with, this was it. When our boss shared his plans with us, I had every right to believe that I would be the one to steal the orbs. That mission involved far less confrontation and was a perfect fit for me!

"With all due respect sir, wouldn't it be easier for Matt to lead this mission? We are conducting a direct 'mugging' operation for a kingdra-class submersible vessel! His skills would be better suited to-"

"Shelly, I'm only going t'ah explain this once. T'ah take the sub from slateport will require a well-coordinated and properly timed attack. Which in turn will need a good set up provided by several teams of low-key operatives. Yer organisational skills are far better than Matt's.  _I need ye t'ah take this mission_."

_Small teams? We were stealing a damned submarine in full view of the public! The easiest option was the front!_

"B-But!-"

"Shelly, enough. Ye  _will_  head this mission, and I expect that it be completed successfully." Archie responded, stern expression and firm tone hammering home his unwillingness to negotiate.

The boss's words were final. There was room to argue only before he became set in his beliefs, trying to change his mind after the fact would be a fool's errand.  _But that didn't mean that I would have to like it._

"... Fine. What's the plan for the operation then? And if I may, isn't less than a week very little time to prepare something of this magnitude sir?" I asked, letting only a hint of my annoyance seep into my voice.

"No need for me t'ah expose the details just yet Shelly; I'll be coming with you to deal with the technical half of this mission anyway. Better to give ye the plan on-site. No need for doubt either lass; five days is more than enough time to set this up." Archie answered with a devilish grin.

_Wait?! He was going to come with me?_

"S-Sir? I thought you said I was heading up the operation? If you're coming doesn't that mean you'll be commanding the grunts instead?"

It was true of course, why would I be in charge if Archie was around to run the place? Not that I was against this turn of events. Archie would be better company than a majority of our team, and it made my job a lot easier, and thus, this mission more palatable as a result. Yet that didn't really change the obvious problem of having the boss  _and_  me running the show at the same time.

"No Shelly, leading our crew will indeed be yer job. I'll be the person pulling off the sub heist; I'll only have a personal team under my command. Which means this whole operation will depend on yer ability t'ah keep things under control."

So I was to be entrusted with the chain of command? What a delicious opportunity to demonstrate my capability. To think I was against the idea of this mission to begin with; it was positively perfect, the best chance I had to showcase my talent. No way in hell would I pass up something like this, even if stealth was my preferred method of confrontation.

"Then consider this operation complete already sir. We'll have the submarine in our possession before the end of the week." I stated confidently.

"Excellent, that's what I like t'ah hear. Given that ye know the score, ye should go t'ah yer quarters and prepare a city disguise lass. We'll both need to enter slateport undercover before the light of morning hits. Our plans depend on us laying the necessary… preparations before we initiate our operation." The boss replied, his grin growing wider.

Being in disguise and blending in was still apparently a part of this scheme;  _perfect_. It'd only make doing the work that much more fun. Oh the bitter anger we'd see on the port staff's faces when they realise Team Aqua had eyes on their submarine this whole time; just thinking about it had me giddy. How entertaining it would be, especially with the boss there to watch my expert leadership of the peasantry among our team.

"Right away sir, I'll depart as soon as I can." I stated with a grin, mostly out of anticipation than anything else.

_These fools won't even know what hit them!_

* * *

Having only arrived an hour ago in Rustboro, I was decidedly irate. The reason why could be described in only a few words. For one thing, it was Six in the morning, there happened to be a severe lack of caffeine in my bloodstream, and most importantly of all, I was receiving the ever-present glare of my contemporary the black Contessa.

_When did life get so Arceus damned_ _**shit?** _

I wanted to voice that aloud; to make my discontent apparent, and perhaps by some small chance, stir the anger of Cynthia. Anger she was barely keeping on lock, not surprisingly, since I did shout at her through the phone before dropping the call just as hard as I wanted to drop all sense of civility between us. She hated me, for reasons beyond what I could fathom too. In the past I tried to be nice, and sure, in our first meeting she seemed amicable. Yet ever since I was named champion she had a problem with me.

"Have you gathered each squad?" Cynthia asked, still glaring at me from behind the wooden desk she was sitting at.

Funny how the sterile-white paint job that permeated the whole of Rustboro's police headquarters only served to accentuate the coldness of her tone, and yet, at the same time, make Cynthia in her jet-black outfit stick out like a sore thumb. Still, the colour suited her, it's not like her personality had any other, more interesting shades to put to light. Dark and brooding as a colour scheme worked perfectly well. The problem was that she was like this all the fucking time.

"Yes." I answered curtly, not bothering to give any more information, nor conversation than necessary.

The worst part in all this was that it was totally unjustified. How was I to know that Team Aqua would be gone before I found their base? Why was it that I was always the scumbag in any situation that involved her? One of the only reasons I could name for this predisposition of hatred would be how I managed to screw up my first ever interpol mission, lead personally by her. I was new at the time; inexperienced despite my skill, and it had been years since then. Yet I was continuing to pay for it, unless there was some other, more ridiculous reason behind this irrational disdain for me.

"You've briefed them all on our classified operating procedure then? Am I safe to assume that you won't fuck this up as well Steven?" She replied venomously and with only a hint of anger in her eyes.

_Oh for fuck's sake!_

"Listen Cynthia, I know you have something against me and the very concept that I draw breath and all, but is it too much to ask for that you leave your lack of confidence out of the work environment?!" I shouted, dropping my previous act of apathy with little effort.

Her eyes narrowed; tensing in anger. Either she was getting ready verbally abuse me more, or to shove a pokeball down my throat in a sudden act of homicide.

Honestly at this point, it was likely to be both.

"Why should I?! You never do the job I ask you do Steven! We have an important operation to carry out that involves squashing eco-terrorists in  _your_  fucking region before they become a serious threat! With your track record, how am I supposed to guarantee the success of this missio-"

"You can't guarantee the success of  _any_  mission Cynthia! I'm doing my best;  **I'm always doing my Arceus damned best!** Stop letting  _your_  lack of faith from getting in the way of  _my_  work!" I responded, cutting her off before she could spew more vitriol at me.

One could tell, by the contorted and rage filled look on her face that Cynthia had no practice in dealing with people who had the ability, and the authority to talk back to her. I was a champion, and she was a champion. Cynthia may be the best investigator in interpol, and arguably one of the best champions in any given region, but those accolades didn't extent her authority past mine. She was not immune to making mistakes, nor was she safe from me giving her a verbal outburst of my own.

I was tired of being her punching bag. There were eco-terrorist groups, the general public, and even an old contest hags ruining every aspect of my life recently, and I didn't need Cynthia to be added to that list.

"You know Cynthia, if you kept your petty trust issues to yourself, we might even be able to work together well enough to stop Aqua and Magma." I spoke again, breaking the silence between us with a statement I knew would hit home.

_And oh boy, did it hit home._

"Petty?!  **Petty?!**  These are legitimate concerns about your performance as of late Steven!" Cynthia responded, angrier than ever before, but also indignant at being called out by me.

Well, it would only be indignant if she was actually in the right here, something she most certainly was not.

"Legitimate? How is you breathing down my throat whenever the opportunity presents itself legitimate?!  _It is petty Cynthia!_  This is my region, and my police force, and you are here to help us. You  _aren't_  here to complain to me every five seconds because you think I'm the worst champion of all time. It has nothing to do with the mission and you're just being difficult for difficulty's sake!" I finished, taking in Cynthia's gobsmacked expression with extreme satisfaction.

_But I'm not about to let you have the last word here, not by a long shot._

"Now, if'll you excuse me,  _black witch of sinnoh_ , I have several squads of police to organise for the upcoming counter-attack against our common foe. I'm sorry, I just don't have time to listen to more of your 'legitimate concerns' when there's work to be done."

I said it with finality, taking great pleasure in giving my foulest smirk before I turned from her desk and walked out of her commandeered office. Though sweet vengeance had been served, and served ice cold, I wasn't completely satisfied. Walking out on Cynthia was only the icing on the cake; I had other, more important ideas on my mind.

Namely that I'd had enough of being everyone else's bitch, and also...

_When I find Aqua, they_ _**will** _ _pay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoooooo booooyyyyyy.
> 
> Welcome to the end notes, you'll have noticed a lot happened in this chapter. Firstly, Brendan has become self-aware to just how gay he really is; obviously this won't solve the problem at all, he's still going to be crushing hard, aware of it or not, but this does help us kick the ship up a gear. Especially since Brendan is subconsciously entertaining the idea of liking Wally, at least while he's lying in bed trying to sleep anyway (it's likely he'll be having a small personal crisis when the implications of this liking of Wally fully impact him in the morning). Wally on the other hand? Well, funnily enough, while he's not aware of why, he is far less worried about how he feels. It's not so much that he thinks its a natural thing, since he still isn't aware enough to realise what it is that he's feeling, but more so that it doesn't bother him. Ruby is a nice person as far as Wally is concerned, and it really doesn't bother him too much what form the feelings take, as long as he can keep travelling with his friend.
> 
> Of course, given the prevalence of these feelings, it will be quite interesting should Wally ever find out about Brendan's true identity, but that's a topic for another day.
> 
> On top of this, I used this chapter to illustrate the dynamic between Archie and Shelly. Conversely to how Maxie and Courtney's boss/subordinate working relationship functions, Shelly actually has some sway over Archie, and lee way enough to get away with formality and voice her concerns. Of course, this is also a product of Archie's far more laid back demeanour in pretty much everything he does barring his ideals, as much as it is Shelly's lack of care for pleasantries and social conventions. Also of important note are the little details their conversation gives away; a lot of what these two presented is important, I guarantee it.
> 
> Finally, we come to our two champions. Welp. As you can see, Steven has finally decided that he's had enough of Cynthia's attitude. Obviously, Cynthia is a no-holds-barred, in-your-face badass that takes no shit from anyone, but even she can step out of line. Which she has been doing quite a lot where our other champion is concerned. Something which has finally caused our poor Steven to snap at her and throw some sick shade her way. Of course, in this process, Steven also hints at the reason why Cynthia's so hostile against him to begin with, which is important, but is also information for a later date (these two have a relevant sideplot for their characters and working relationship as champions, so this information sets things up nicely). We also see how angry Steven's getting with this; he's been brooding on all these problems for a while now and someone is going to get destroyed at this rate. Probably team Aqua grunts and/or Archie and Shelly. Of course, whether or not this actually happens I can't say, but if it does, it will be spectacular to watch.
> 
> Anywho, I'll get to the shoutouts for this chapter!
> 
> Firstly, I'll give my biggest shoutout to the person who has nothing but encouragement for my writing and has helped a great deal with this fics formation. *Mitsurausu* you are awesome, literally the best.
> 
> Also, a shout out to *Doco56* for their amazing feed back recently on Ao3. Seriously though, I love how much effort you put into the comment on my work, thank you very much!
> 
> Anyway, with the shout outs done, I'll get to saying my usual, but not before remind everyone that if there are announcements or news about this fic/upcoming fics I'm working on, they will be announced on my DA and tumblr, the links of which can be found in my beginning notes.
> 
> Still, without any further ado, I wish you all a wonderful day and I'll be back again in two weeks!


	27. Calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone. I'll start by explaining where I disappeared to, basically this chapter was meant to only be late by a day, since the release date would have normally fallen on my birthday. Sadly, by an additional twist of fate, I became ill again. After consulting with my doctor, I was prescribed a round of anti-biotics, since my body was attempting to fight two infections at once. Basically, the medicine, and the illnesses themselves, sapped my motivation to an extreme level. I attempted to write what I could, but my normally strong writing muse was no where to be found, so the finishing of this chapter was heavily delayed as a result.
> 
> Thankfully, I have since recovered mostly from the two infections I did have, and equally as thankfully, my writing muse returned not shortly after my health did. Which is why, despite it's lateness, I have the next chapter here now. My apologies for the wait everyone, I had not expected to have fallen ill.
> 
> Anywho, negative news aside, I have a very meaty chapter for you all. The title of this chapter should give you some inkling as to the significance of future chapters, as will the contents. However, I'll let you all dive into yourselves. Have fun readers! I'll see you in the end notes!

The afternoon sun lazily drifted through the hotel room window and onto my face. Though dazed and still slightly drowsy, the warm glow that gently cascaded across my face caused me to stir.

"Mhhhhhhhhmmm" I groaned a little.

Slowly, life made it's way through me, and steadily I came to the waking world. Yet, my senses were still dull, even with my eyes half open and my body's motor functions returning. I was in a soft bed, a bed that called for me, pulled me close to desire for further rest. Normally this desire would overpower any willingness to get up, unless I had something to do for the day. Today however was different; I hadn't awoken out of obligation, but rather because I had gotten enough rest.

Truth be told, most of my days were like this now. At least ever since I began travelling with Ruby that is.

_Yes, Ruby…_

_**Ruby!** _

The haze lifted all at once, and I realised why, despite my comfort, I had drifted back into the world.

Ruby was gone.

Though I hadn't quite cared to admit it, I certainly had slept through last night like a rock. I didn't even stay up to draw like most nights. No, I just went to bed and promptly passed into dreamland. It wasn't like I was exhausted from last night either; I had plenty of energy left. It was just…

_Warm._

Yeah, that word fit best. It was warm; Ruby made sure of that. There was a small amount of room in the bed even with both of us in it, but having someone else sleep in the bed made it warmer and more comfortable even if we weren't touching. There was just something about sleeping next to Ruby that felt so… so... safe? I was capable, and I could look after myself, so I didn't need security. Sure, my illnesses might say otherwise at times, but those were my problems alone and I didn't require help from anybody in order to deal with them. At least not recently anyway.

Yet lying there, next to Ruby, even if it was half an arm's length between us, it felt secure. Secure in the sense that there was someone there, someone I could talk to and see in the morning, someone I could-

"Wally, you want any breakfast?" Asked the white-capped boy I just happened to be thinking about.

He was standing in the doorway, a little ways from the bed. The door in question lead to the kitchen of this suite, which was a slightly different layout from our last stay in Dewford. Normally I would have piped up happily requesting breakfast, except that wasn't the more immediate response on my mind right now.

"Are you ok Ruby?" I asked with worry, taking his appearance.

Most notably, the features of his face and his body language. Ruby was slumped in posture, his look was half-absent, and his eyes seemed weary. He looked like he'd gotten no sleep at all; given how I slept, such a notion left me confused more than anything else.

"I'm  _perfectly_  fine. Now do you want breakfast or not?" He answered, far more pointedly than usual too.

I almost winced from the tone. If I didn't know any better I'd say he had a problem with me, but it was more than likely that he just hadn't had enough coffee, or he was still really tired. Of course, I was still concerned about it, but then there was nothing I could do either in anycase. For now it would be easier to observe and wait until Ruby was in a better mood.

"I-I'd love some, t-thanks." I replied.

Not doing very well to hide my nervousness, my expression likely seemed a tad uneasy. Or so I surmised, since Ruby's own expression changed very minutely. It became less pointed; less... jagged. If Ruby was reacting like that, then that meant whatever was wrong wasn't my fault.

 _Or at least I liked to hope that was the case_.

Really, even on the best of days, Ruby was just plain hard to read. I tried my best, and I was usually right, but this boy was just an enigma in the middle of a mystery and doused with a heaping serve of intrigue for good measure. Despite his charming nature and passionate demeanor, at least where battling was concerned, I still knew very little about him.

"All right then. I'll bring some eggs on toast through in a moment." Ruby stated, taking that as his cue to move from the doorway back into the kitchen.

I sighed a tiny bit as he left. Not out of relief; no, more so out of exasperation.

Even with time to relax, Ruby was on edge it seemed.

_Oh well, might as well start the day._

I thought to myself, getting out of bed and heading towards the bag that held my clothes. Ruby happened to be kind enough to buy me a set of pyjamas in Dewford; He'd been kind enough to buy me lots of things actually, enough so that I couldn't help but be concerned.

Because I still didn't really know why he would spend so much on me, or exactly how he'd come to possess such wealth to begin with. I could only hope that perhaps someday, he'd tell me the full story behind his family and inheritance.

Or at least why he was in such a bad mood this morning.

* * *

_Arceus dammit._

Who could blame me for being irate? I now knew what it was that had been eating away at me; even now it continued. The heightened pulse, the care and respect given; all the blushes and emotional swings in between. I'd been crushing on Wally this whole time.

There were  _multitudes_  of problems with that.

So many I could barely begin to name all of them in fact. For one, Wally and I were both male. To the rest of Hoenn, that was a taboo, something to be mocked and ridiculed. The reasons were religious and general disgust from the populace at large, and to be fair I didn't see a relationship between males in a positive light before now, but… I was stuck in the middle of it anyway. There was no helping how I felt, as much as I wished there was, and it wasn't like the idea of relationship with Wally was unpalatable either.

It was just highly inconvenient.

A fact I reminded myself of as I moved the bacon about the pan; cooking breakfast or food of any kind usually relaxed me. Not now though, it did little to help the river of thought in my head come to a stop.

Because it was true, and 'inconvenient' was putting mildly. The truth was simple: as much as I wanted to avoid it, I was a star. Publicity about me may have waned with my absence, but if I was ever found out, not only would I be dragged back to hell on earth, but Wally would suffer too. He'd be called in for interviews if we were together; they'd ask him invasive questions, the masses of Hoenn would boo him down whatever he said, and then he'd never be without a camera around him ever again. Good or bad, every action in relation to me would be documented for all to see; there was no privacy to be had in being the boyfriend of a star.

Of course, beyond all of that, there was no way of knowing if Wally shared my feelings at all. In fact, it was more likely he didn't. Which while preferable, wouldn't help my feelings any. I honestly wished they'd just go away. They made me moody and irritable; something which I'd forgotten for a moment when asking Wally whether he wanted breakfast or not. In the context of the situation and my feelings, I felt bad for snapping a tiny bit, because it really wasn't his fault. Nor was it his problem, and even despite how it felt, I'd try my best to keep it from being so.

_There._

The bacon looked almost ready to serve; it had spent a long time in the pan and had coloured nicely, and much unlike my most recent revelation, it would be easy to stomach.

"Ruby?" A tentative question echoed from nowhere.

_Shit._

I turned to the doorway, making sure to put on my best smile. For his part, Wally looked well-rested, happy even, yet there was something in his expression that I couldn't put a finger to. Whatever it was it didn't matter. There could be no more slip ups; I had to maintain my composure in the face of all this information and feeling.

_Wally deserves better than my stupid emotional swings._

That, and I didn't need him finding out what my reasons were for being so weird lately. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed it, but even so, it had to stop here. Wally discovering my past was already a problematic proposition before my emotions were factored in. Now I just extra reason to maintain my veneer of composure.

"Hey there Wally." I began, "Breakfast is almost done." I finished as plainly as possible, turning my gaze back to the pan in front of me.

"O-Oh! That's great! But erm…" Wally answered.

_But?_

"Hm?"

"Well, I was just wondering Ruby… What are we going to do for the day? More training?" The little muffin top asked with sincere curiosity.

It was a fair question, since there was a lot to do in slateport, and training would be helpful. No doubt it would take my mind off my current problem at the least. Then again, I wouldn't reap the full benefits of it with my lack of focus.

_Better to start of with just a simple distraction._

"No, we aren't going to do any training today. I think a quick stop at the market to pick up supplies and then a trip to the beach is in order."

Ironically, I was more telling myself that, than I was Wally, since I originally didn't have a plan for the day. I'd been far too distracted to be organised about it, which just annoyed me even more.

Silence hung in the air for a moment, and all that could be heard was the gentle crackle of the bacon in the pan. Perhaps I hadn't been heard, or maybe I was too quiet in speech for Wally to hear at all. Normally I'd expect a jubilant answer from him; it was a trip to the beach. Wally should be more excited than I would be for it, which only made the calm that much more disconcerting. In an effort to understand, I turned to look at him again while also turning the heat down on the stove top to prevent the bacon burning.

Wally looked… Concerned? He appeared to have something important he wanted to say, though I couldn't really imagine what it was.

"R-Ruby… Are you… Are you sure you're ok? You seem really on edge" Wally asked earnestly.

The question was put forward so sincerely and with such an innocent expression that it made my heart flutter just a tiny bit.

_Even when you're concerned you're cute…_

Focus!

That didn't matter, this was a dangerous question! Give the wrong answer and Wally would only question me further. Leaving it at I'm fine wouldn't work like last time. I needed an excuse, something to abate this query while I worked on a way to bury these ridiculous feelings.

"If you're worried about me, it's all right. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because of… a bad dream I had. That's why I want to go to the beach Wally; relax a little before we start any training and all that." I said as plainly as possible.

Wally's expression softened, but from the looks of things he wasn't entirely convinced. Of course, if he was truly doubtful, he didn't question me any further.

"A-All right… Well, if something is ever wrong, you can tell me y'know?" He began, giving me a heart melting smile.

It took a moment, but eventually Wally realised how he must have sounded saying that, because his cheeks went a little red straight after.

"A-Anyway, I'll go put on some shoes for when we leave!" Wally finished, leaving the room of his own accord.

As he left, I sighed.

_If only bacon could solve this problem…_

* * *

Ruby kept telling me he was ok, that everything was fine. Yet every time he said so, there was always something off about how he said it. The first time, he was pointedly quick to answer, and seemed highly agitated too. The second time, well, he hesitated. In fairness, he was much calmer than before, but the hesitation during the explanation only raised more alarm bells.

Even though we were at the market, and Ruby was busy buying things for our trip to the beach, I was too caught up in trying to figure him out to really notice anything. I wasn't sure why I cared so much about the reason behind his strange behaviour as of late, since Ruby was nothing but strange since I met him. The best guess I had was that it seemed like he was annoyed with something, and I wanted to help.

_But he doesn't want me to help._

Which was true, it was plain to see Ruby was keeping something from me. Of course, that didn't bother me, people were allowed to have private information, it's just that… I felt I was the problem. Maybe it was a silly thought to believe that I was the cause for all Ruby's moodiness lately, but my gut told me something was up and I couldn't just ignore it.

Hopefully in time, Ruby would tell me what it was, or I'd find out myself. Whether I could help or not, not knowing why just made it worse.

For now though, I'd have to wait and keep up my cheer. The beach would be fun, and maybe it might even cheer Ruby up.

_Here's hopin-_

"Oof!" I spluttered as I collided with someone.

Looking up I saw a man, he wasn't a slim person, but he wasn't stocky either. He certainly looked scary that was for sure. There wasn't anything all that remarkable about his appearance, he had toned skin, and was wearing a basic mix of deep-blue slim shorts, and a casual T-Shirt with a Sharpedo pattern on it. There were only two things of note, one of them being that I couldn't see his eyes as they were hidden behind glasses.

The other was the fact that he had a decorative piece of jewelry in the shape of a golden anchor tied around his left arm. Though barely visible from this angle I could make out a familiar looking stone that was embedded in it; it shone in the light with all the colours of the rainbo-

_I still haven't apologised!_

"U-Uh, S-Sorry mister! I didn't mean t-to run into you…" I said incredibly fast, almost running out of breath in the process.

The man gave a hearty laugh, before bearing a smile that made me just a tiny bit uneasy; it was forced.

"Not a problem laddie." He spoke, before moving on into the crowd.

I still felt uneasy, despite the fact that the strange person had left. Something about him just seemed…  _Off._  Then again, I was likely just imagining things, maybe travelling with Ruby had just left me on edge. Which, come to think of it, was hardly surprising; Ruby was indeed a handful. He was fun to be around though, probably a lot more fun than the person I'd just bumped into at least, plus-

"Wally, come on! It's almost time to hit the sand!" Shouted the very person on my mind.

Ruby was far ahead of me now. It would seem that in my thoughtful daze I'd fallen behind. Shouting back to him would have been the sensible idea, but my unfortunate biological weakness meant he probably wouldn't hear me very clearly, it would just be easier to catch up to him. Exactly why I picked up pace, awkwardly attempting to brush past the bustling market goers and heading towards my friend.

As each footstep was taken, I drew closer and closer to starting up yet another brainstorm on Ruby's behaviour. Which wasn't the most fun thing to do, so having decided I'd done enough worrying to last a lifetime, I instead focused on the trips destination.

_The beach._

Beaches were wonderful places, but I'd only been to a handful. In fact, before I met Ruby, I'd been to only just two. I loved such locations all the same though, especially how easy it was to relax with the warm sun and the sound of waves echoing in the air. There was a rhythmic calm to it, never mind the calming properties of the sand itself. Yes, the beach would be an ideal spot for me to relax despite everything that had been going on.

Hopefully, it might even get Ruby to de-stress a little bit and start acting himself again.

* * *

The meeting room was humid and stuffy, likely due to the number of people in it. There were twenty people, not including myself, and that hag Cynthia. I gathered she'd only come along to the briefing out of want for revenge for my earlier outburst, but then if that was the case, she would have said something already. Whatever the reason for her presence, it didn't really matter, it was only a retelling of our information at present anyway.

Well, a retelling with purpose.

"Good morning to you all. As you are no doubt aware, I called all of you from your posts for something incredibly important. You are my region's top operatives, and I require the skill of each and every one of you in order to bring to justice a certain problem that has become more prominent as of late…"

Grabbing the remote at the podium, I pressed the button that would turn on the projector. This was a detailed information dump, and the slides would provide what my speech would not. I turned to my side to make sure slide one was showing, this was necessary, as slide one had the most information on it. It was a run down on recent events.

"Now, lately, there has been groups of people calling themselves 'Team Aqua' and 'Team Magma' ailing this region. Such groups claim to be for our environmental benefit, and they were relatively benign until recently-"

"Hmph." Cynthia snorted, interrupting me.

You always have something say, even when you keep it shut, eh Cynthia?

"... However, this group, and it's sister group have proven hostile with their most recent actions. Aqua stole my research on mega-evolution and my father's company's submarine plans. In Magma's case, their fate was sealed when they attacked my colleague Cynthia, while she was in the field." I finished, swapping to the next slide.

This next slide contained information on all the materials regarding the two teams we had yet to solve, including true motive and reason.

"We are unsure." I continued, inflecting my tone to show my exasperation at the fact. "Of what it is exactly that either team wants. In fact, as far as motive goes, their actions thus far have been nothing short of obscure-"

My speech was broken again, interrupted by small, yet audible chuckling, coming from Cynthia herself.

_Keep laughing witch._

Without missing a beat, I swapped to the next slide, taking this as an opportunity to get to the heart of the matter.

"With all that said, we do know Team Aqua's next move. They intend to launch an assault on Slateport's docks, in an attempt to steal one of the ports experimental submarines. For what purpose, we do not know, but it must be stopped, and they must be caught. I am uncertain how they will set up their attack, but I  _do_  know that the planned date for their brazen assault is in less than a few days." I stated plainly, yet not without a hint of seriousness in my voice.

_Finally, time to use the last slide._

"Effectively, about day from the attack, I will have all of you, including myself and Cynthia, disguised and ready. Our plan is simple, wait for Team Aqua to make it's move, and as they swoop in to catch their prey, we catch ours."

The last slide was little more than a map of Slateport, with a few key areas circled as possible points of contention where Aqua is involved. Adding my explanation, it should be fairly easy to understand my intent, but I decided it would be best to make sure everything I said was taken in.

"So, any questions?" I asked the room.

Only to receive silence in return.

_Perfect, everyone understands._

* * *

"How… Unfortunate that you failed Courtney."

_How was I to know my opponent would be the champion?!_

It's true, I did fail, but given the circumstances, my back up plan worked without much trouble, if anything this situation was reversible!

"S-Sir, wi-"

"That was not an invitation to speak, Courtney." Maxie interrupted me.

Clearly he was still mad at me for failing to capture the bitch who was watching us this whole time. To be fair, I was mad myself. Yet, now we had a prime opportunity, surely my boss realised this? By failing once, we had ensured future victory.

"As I was saying." Maxie spoke up, adjusting his glasses as he did so. "While it is highly regrettable you did not possess the skill necessary to capture your prey… It may yet still be to our advantage." Maxie finished, picking up his gaze and boring into my eyes with his own.

_The boss is dead serious, I can't fail again._

"This allows us ample opportunity observe Aqua's movements, Courtney. They may have had the one up with the mega-evolution research they stole, but now with law enforcement getting involved… We might be able to steal our own copy of that data."

"Sir?"

Did he mean to steal it while Aqua stole the sub they were after? But how?! Even with some of their best operatives on the job, Aqua's new base was heavily fortified. Despite being a temporary installation, a frontal attack would still be pointless, the only way to retrieve data of that value would be to…

"If that is my mission, I accept." I stated, smile returning to my face.

_You are as sly as they come boss._

"Oh, so you've finally caught on then? Good, I hate having to spell everything out. Simply put, while Aqua is occupied in Slateport, I want you to  _acquire_  a copy of that research.  _Am I clear Courtney_?"

"As clear as day, Sir." I answered confidently.

This would be my chance to prove my loss at the hands of the sinnoh bitch was just a fluke. The perfect opportunity to show the boss I still had all the skill necessary to get the job done.

"Perfect. I need not remind you of the consequences for failure this time?" Maxie asked, gaze intensifying.

The boss has a presence that can choke the very air out of the room, even if I wanted to, failure ceased to be an option when he spoke.

"Not at all sir." I responded, making sure to keep up my veil of confidence.

"Excellent. Meet with the leader of our information division, he will give you all the necessary details to complete this mission." The boss said, relaxing his intense gaze finally.

"Right away, sir!" I replied as I turned for the door.

_Don't worry boss, I have no intention of fucking up this time._

* * *

"You must really love your tan y'know?" Wally spoke, for the first time in a little while too.

It was a little concerning that he would be so quiet, but ever since I told him I was fine, he was too caught up in his own head to do much speaking. Hell, he even bumped into someone at the market by accident. Maybe it was my feelings that I was trying to suppress, but somehow his silence was beginning to unnerve me. All the more relieving that he spoke up now.

"I just like having tanned skin Wally, personal preference is all it is." I stated, still keeping my eye's closed.

It was relaxing for my otherwise fried nerves. The sound of the waves nearby, and the countless voices as they travelled across the sand. Sand itself was a good conductor for the heat of the sun, said heat filtered from the sand through the towel I was lying on, reaching my back through the towel's surface. Calming was the best way to describe the effect of all this sensation.

"Why though? wouldn't the sun's rays damage your skin eventually?" He asked earnestly again, though I would not open my eyes.

Well, he had a point, and the truth was, I didn't actually care all that much about my tan. It was a product of my contest days, something I did to make myself look better for performances. In actuality, it wasn't a choice or a preference of mine at all, but it was the best answer I had for such a question. Because, obviously, I was really only on the beach and doing all of this to avoid my current predicament.

I didn't want to think about the consequences of my feelings, immediate or otherwise, and I certainly had no interest in entertaining the idea that Wally might feel the same way. Not only was it foolish, but Wally didn't need any of the trouble I could bring. I could barely handle my life by myself, what hope did Wally have?

_So then why are you still considering it?!_

How am I supposed to know the answer to that? Was it because Wally was attractive in the physical sense? There was no denying he had appeal of course, despite how sickly he was, his pale skin was actually somewhat alluring and he wasn't out of shape either. Yet, if it was just physical, blocking it out would have been far too easy anyway. These feelings were stubborn, it was likely not based on the physical at all. In truth, I barely felt physical attraction as it was, so this had to be something else all it's own.

"I don't know, I just like having tanned skin I guess, I don't care about possible damage." I answered, finally opening my eyes.

Wally was at the side of my vision, also lying down on the massive towel we put down, but wearing far more clothing than I. While I was down to just my shorts and sandals, he was wearing everything but his shoes and socks.

"Hey Wally, I have a question of my own." I said, feeling something spark in my mind.

_Perhaps the reason…_

"Huh? W-What is it?" Wally answered slightly nervously.

"Oh, I just wanted to ask: Why do you want to travel with me so much?"

A valid question, after all, his family members could have fit the bill easily, even without me in the picture. Sure, they'd be reluctant, but Wally's old grandfather at least would have been more than willing to do it. I was barely necessary, in fact, Wally only began travelling with me out of desperation, at this point he was more than capable of travelling alone without me. Why cling to me?

"W-What do you mean, Ruby?" He asked back.

_Guess I'll have to be more specific._

"What I mean is, you could easily travel alone, despite what your mother says, why is that you want to stick with me so much? If it's money, I could just give a whole heap to you an-"

" _No._ " Wally answered, brief determination crossing his face.

_But why?_

"Why not? Surely you don't like the idea of having to run at my pace for the whole journey." I said, already having an inkling of the answer.

"Because I feel indebted to you for helping me. I don't like the idea of receiving help for nothing, so I want to be useful while you're on way to the league, and also…"

_Also?_

"I like travelling with you; in the beginning, I thought only of sharing my journey with Forsythe, but everything has been so much more fun with you around too, Ruby!... S-So that's why, if it's possible, I w-want to keep travelling with you…"

Wally's eyes were looking straight up, not at me when he said that. For what reason I couldn't say, but at least I knew why he was so determined to keep travelling with me. Originally I had thought of just giving him money and sending him on his way before, at least as a way to get rid of these feelings. Of course, that wouldn't work, Wally was far too willful to just accept that, plus he still felt indebted to me for the help I offered him. Which was strange, because in my mind, he'd already paid all of it back plenty times over.

The reason was simple, in fact, as I'd come to realise, it was possibly one of the bigger reasons behind my feelings for him.

_His simple innocence._

He knew nothing about me, about my previous identity, but he didn't care for my apparent wealth in whole, or part either. Wally was one of the few to treat me like a proper human being, instead of some precious gem on display. He genuinely enjoyed my company despite how abrasive I could be, and he never once tried to abuse the fact that I was loaded with cash, if anything he actively tried to discourage me from spending it on him.

His innocence and sincerity.

That is what I'd come to enjoy the most, and I was fool to not notice I'd fallen so hard for it.

_Really, how stupid can I get?_

"Fair enough, I guess that settles it then." I began, smirking despite myself.

_Why am I happy about this? Wally sticking around will only make my feelings worse…_

"Settles w-what?" Wally replied, nervous again.

"That you and I are stuck together till this journey of mine is over." I said, smiling like the fool I was.

I'd rather it not be that way, but in reality, what Wally didn't know was that I felt indebted to him instead. Dragging him into illegal ID fraud, lying to him about who I really was. These were all debts I'd pay by allowing him the chance to see the world, as he's always wanted.

"O-Oh… Right…" Wally answered, likely surprised I'd give in so easily and accept it.

But what else was there for me to do? Wally deserved more than my money and more than I could give; someone that pure shouldn't have to deal with somebody like me. However, if I was to be stuck with these feelings, if I was to have Wally around, I'd do my best to keep Brendan out of the picture. I hated having to lie, but it was too late to take the deceit back now. My original motive was merely to defeat the league, and demonstrate to everyone how much better I was at battling than handling Pokemon in contests. Yet a new motive had been added slowly since my departure, thanks to my travelling companion, only now,said motive has reached the same imperative level of mental strength as my first goal.

_Protect Wally._

_Even if that means, protecting him from who I used to be, and from my own feelings._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there reader, welcome to the end notes!
> 
> First let's discuss Brendan's mind set, as I feel that is most important. Over the course of this chapter, Brendan slowly begins to realise what it is about Wally that has him so enamoured, and by the end he has given in to the idea that even despite how he feels, he owe's it to Wally to continue travelling with him. Of course, as much as he wishes he could deny it, this is also a personally biased decision, because he obviously love's the green muffin top too much for his own good. Which will make a few plot points a lot more latent later on, if I may say so.
> 
> Additionally, Brendan has also vowed to himself to keep those feelings at bay, because Wally deserves better. This should give some idea of how Brendan truly feels about himself. Though he acts rashly, and most certainly has quite the ego, he views himself as inferior to Wally. Not in terms of battle skill, but as a person, Brendan values Wally more than he does himself, and that isn't a healthy thing. There could be many reasons for this, stemming from his contest days, and family problems, and those reasons will definitely be explored, but basically, Brendan's self-confidence is only solid in battle.
> 
> Unfortunately for Brendan, Wally has weakness too, and he is by no means perfect, as evidenced by how attached he has become to 'Ruby' already. Should the false gem be revealed, the imperfections of this bond will be shown proper. Innocence is just as problematic as Brendan's brashness. In saying this, their bond is one of the subjects of this fic, and the idea that they learn to depend on one another will be present. Not everything will always be smooth sailing however, especially if this bond is to evolve positively, and Brendan and Wally build it upon mutual trust, rather than blind affection.
> 
> Of course, the other thing to notice this chapter are the two set up sections for magma, and Steven. Team Magma needs that research as well, and now Maxie has sent someone to get it; magma plans to take a copy of what they need while Aqua pulls off it's operation. Given that one admin and the boss himself are out of the building, now would be the best time to pull such a stunt, something which Maxie realises.
> 
> Also, what is Cynthia thinking? We won't know for a little while, but I'm sure it has something to do with mocking Steven. But then who knows? (I do).
> 
> And yes, Wally did run into Archie in the market. Why? Well, perhaps even Aqua admins like to relax before big heists, time can only tell, though it is a small world for them to run into one another by accident.
> 
> Anywho, discussions of the chapter aside, I'll get to shoutouts!:
> 
> A shoutout to Mitsurausu, as usual, your continual encouragement helps drive this story forward, I couldn't do any of this without you!
> 
> All right, with the shout outs done, I'll retreat away for two weeks again. Again, my apologies for the time it took to get this out, illness kind or ruined my ability to do much of anything this week. But the chapter is here now and that is what counts. I hope you all had fun reading, and I'll see you all again in two weeks!


	28. Upon the precipice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for my slight lateness, I'd intended to release this my tuesday night, but work made it hard to get everything ready in time. Also, I had trouble writing a certain section in the story because I had to run through three iterations of the same general idea (more on that in the end notes!) Anywho, I have this weeks chapter, and it's title should indicate the premise of next weeks chapter too.
> 
> But for now, I'll give my usual advisory that the end notes are at the bottom along with the shoutouts, and then let you have fun reading it.
> 
> So without further ado, I present this week's chapter! Have fun readers!

Everything was pitch black.

On the whim of reflex I looked down; something was off about this… place? What do you even call a void of nothing? Better yet, why was I even here?

_Why can't I see my body?!_

The question echoed in my mind with sudden clarity, I'd been distracted by thoughts momentarily, only just now did I notice my distinct lack of a body. I began to panic, but no sound of my supposedly hurried breathing could be heard, all was silent and still despite my inner turmoil.

On reflex again, I willed my hand to move, my arm to arc upwards so that I could see something, anything. Despite the sensation of movement however, nothing came into focus; naught but darkness could be seen.

My panic deepened, raking at my mental composure.

_I can feel the sensation of breathing! I moved my arm!_ _**Why can't I sense anything?!** _

_**Why-!** _

_Cold._

In the wake of my anxiety and my thoughts, I'd failed to notice the one sensation that could be felt. It was strange, since I should have felt this first, and yet I could only now make out that everything was… freezing. Like the temperature had dropped below freezing point, the cold snapped and gnawed at me.

In an effort to calm myself, I looked down again, on the presumption that the cold meant I existed in this void. I had to,  _I couldn't just be nothing._

_Still pitch black._

_Alone_.

I was alone; not even I was here, let alone anyone else.

I couldn't see, couldn't hear. All that I could perceive was the cold as it swept over me, and the ever mounting dread that whirled in the pit of my stomach. It felt like I'd ingested something awful; though it was distantly numb, the urge to be hurl was there.

Darkness was not the only thing in this void; the panic reached it's zenith and enveloped my mind with a fiery zeal, upsetting any rational thought I could make before it even began.

" **Where is everyone?! Ruby?! Forsythe?!** _ **Anybody?!**_ " I tried to shout, attempting to clutch at my stomach, only to find blank space bereft of feeling.

If there was any air here, it hung deathly still, completely unperturbed by my attempt at crying out. The lack of verbal feedback and the tactile response I should have felt earlier was the last straw to fall on my overworked mental balance. In an instant, the scales tipped.

I succumbed to my instinct to scream.

"A-Ah!" I yelped, vision returning slowly to me.

Opening my eyes, I could finally see again, though my vision was a little blurry. Even so, it was dark. Yet I could still see; the blankets, my own hand as it lay in front of me, and Ruby. Relief washed over me as reality came back. The reality I was familiar with, the one with the sound of Ruby's breathing and the patter of rain on the hotel window. A world with the sensation of touch, a sensation that allowed me to feel the warmth of the blankets; the ripples in the fabric and…

A sense of dampness on my skin?

_Am I covered in sweat?!_

That dream had a more profound effect on me than it should have, especially if I was so shaken from it. What about it caused me to wake up abruptly? Was it the lack of vision? The cold, or not being able to hear my own shouting? Or was it the lack of… Others? If anything, it was all those things and more, and even now I had yet to settle my heart beat down, or my breathing even.

I focused in on one such person, one who was missing in my dream; a person so odd, they even wore their white beanie while sleeping half the time.

Ruby was facing me this time, last night he had his back turned to me. Intriguing that he'd face me at all; he looked so peaceful, contrasted by my severe unrest even as I actively tried to calm myself. My instincts told me that I should huddle up into Ruby's sleeping embrace, if only for comfort, an interestingly weird thought indeed.

Though no where  _near_  as odd as being caught up in a nightmare about an endless abyss with no physical form to speak of.

Regardless, the idea that I should curl up into Ruby's sprawled arms was most certainly odd, yet… Not without merit. Perplexing perhaps, but even the thought of doing so was calming, as evidenced by my heartbeat only slightly lowering as it pounded in my chest. Given that I was still riding the rush of anxiety and dread from before, it seemed remarkable something so simple would elicit any calm in me at all.

However, it did just that. Afterall, who could even blame me for thinking that? I'd woken from a nightmare, damp with sweat; anyone in such a position would take what comfort they could get. They too would find the idea of huddling into Ruby's slightly outstretched arms appealing, especially if he was facing them. It would give them a face to look at, something to focus on in order to pacify the flow of panic in their system; pacify it in  _my_ system.

_To hell with it._

Unsure of whether what drived me was my still fried nerves, or the instinct to latch onto whatever comfort I could, I moved, inching my way through the covers. In order to be in Ruby's embrace, the next obstacle for me to overcome was moving Ruby's right arm just enough for me to come to close, and then gently lower it so that he was hugging me.

The plan and purpose still sounded absurd, but it didn't matter, I was tired and on edge, reason was no leader here.

While it seemed to take forever putting my plan into action; due mostly to the sheer terror at the fact that I could wake Ruby up while moving his arm, I managed to get there in the end. Almost curled up inbetween Ruby's haphazardly placed arms as he lay on his side, I took in the peaceful expression on his face. It was perhaps the one time where I didn't see stray emotions and uncertainty etched upon it.

If anything, such a calm face devoid of any strong emotion displayed by him seemed…

_Cute._

Another thought, on top of the multitudes that I'd had since waking up that made very little sense to me. Then again, I didn't really care, exhaustion made sure I lacked the energy to do so. Instead, I took in my most steady breath yet, and one final glance at my friend as I lay in his embrace, closing my eyes afterward. Exhaling the leftover tension from the nightmare and slowing my heartbeat just a little, back to a normal level within seconds.

All that was left was to lay still and let sleep take it's course, hoping that it would come swiftl-

"Wally?" Came a voice as the person besides me stirred.

_No! Not now!_

I was in no state for Ruby to see me right now! I was so close to him I could hear his breathing!

_I am literally curled up in between his arms for Arceus's sake!_

Shocked right back into reality, I formulated a million excuses for my current position in less than a second, and yet all of them seemed off, purely because they were dishonest. I felt compelled to keep from lying about it, but then I didn't actually have a proper reason for what I was doing even if Ruby asked for one. It was reflexive; huddling into his embrace felt right. What kind of lame reason was that really? Someone like Ruby wouldn't accept such a reason surely-

"Are you ok? You're breathing kinda fast Wally…" He mumbled, eyes slipping in and out of focus, honing in on me.

Then it hit him; the lense of his eye focused in on my eyes, clarity following not soon after. Though minute and very fast, I saw his eye's refocus one final time and then suddenly go wide.

_He's finally realised._

"U-Uh, I-I… Um…" I offered, stammering as my panic returned.

No excuses, and not even a proper reason. My actions were a mystery even to me, and yet I tried my best to explain them, only to fail at doing that anyways. For Ruby's part in all this, his face went a deep red, deep enough that I could see it, even with the calm darkness that permeated the hotel room.

_Damn it, Damn it, Damn it, Damn it,_ _**Damn it!** _

"W-Why is-?! W-Wally, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I was asleep!" Ruby spoke, voice coated with what I thought was legitimate fear.

_What?_

I blinked.

He was sorry? Did he think he did this in his sleep? Why would he even think that? I mean sure, it was possible, but this… problem, was clearly my fault, even if I didn't want it to be a problem to begin with. Still, Ruby panicking before I did over this just made me even worse. On a whim, I decided to come clean about what I believed was my reasoning for huddling up to him in his sleep.

"N-No! It's not your fault at all! I-I just… I had… I had a nightmare that freaked me out and I kinda… I-I just w-wanted some c-comfort." I said, offering the only reason I could think of for my actions.

If I sounded like I lacked confidence in what I was saying, then it wouldn't be far from the truth. I'd only weakly provided a reason for my antics, and fully expected Ruby to get indignantly angry at me for me invading his personal space, just for the sake of my own comfort. However, contradictory to my prediction, Ruby didn't exhibit any signs of anger after my explanation at all. His expression cycled through realisation, relief, and finally understanding. Yet all three of those were nuanced, as if there was something else on his mind besides the present predicament.

Not that I planned to ask about it, I was in a bad enough situation as it was. Of course, I was heavily contemplating doing so anyway, since Ruby had remained chillingly silent for a couple of seconds now and I was beginning to get anxious again. Before I could open my mouth and ask however, Ruby sighed.

It was a sigh of exasperation, carrying a distinct tone of defeat within it. Defeat at the hands of something I hadn't the faintest of clues about. Yet, that was not nearly as shocking as what Ruby did next.

My friend mumbled briefly, and despite our near ridiculous proximity, I couldn't hear it in the slightest. Immediately following that, I felt a movement, both underneath and above me, before what felt like firm arms were wrapped around me.

_D-Did he just-?!_

There was little time to think on what was happening until the action was complete. In a fluid motion, Ruby had pulled me just a little bit closer and embraced me properly. Unlike before, where I was merely laying in between his two splayed arms, now he was purposefully holding me.

A slight blush adorned my friends cheeks; faint and near-indiscernible amongst the darkness of the room, but it was there. A million words ran through my thoughts like wild fire, all of them begging the question why, but none of them ever escaped my mouth.

"Goodnight Wally. Try not have another nightmare if you can, I'd like to get some sleep too." Ruby spoke with clearly feigned annoyance as he closed his eyes.

More than likely he was trying to cover his own embarrassment for the current situation he was in. On my end, I wasn't so much embarrassed as I was shocked. Ruby embracing me freely came so far out of left field that I was still reeling, but then, shocked as I was, I certainly didn't feel like arguing the situation either.

Even if the circumstances had been both sudden and impossibly odd, and even if events that had occurred up to this point unnerved me, I still had to admit to myself that this what I wanted originally anyway.

Comfort was what I asked for, and Ruby had actually given it.

It was a lot easier to calm myself down than it was earlier, now that I could feel Ruby's arms wrapped around me. I'd call the effect odd if I wasn't already biased toward it; and really, what harm was there in this anyway. If Ruby was willing to provide the embrace, something which I wanted to begin with, who was I to argue the circumstances or the feelings around it?

Besides, I needed rest, there would always be time to think about in the morning.

With that in mind, I followed Ruby's example, snapping my eyes shut and mumbling a meek 'I'll try' to my friend. It didn't take long for me to settle in, given that being this close to Ruby made me feel safe and… Necessary. Yet another strange thought, but it was too late to contemplate it now, I'd barely the energy left for even my next wavering notion.

_Hopefully I don't wake up from another nightmare…_

* * *

_What on earth were you thinking?!_ _**You idiot!** _

Oh sure Brendan, just go on ahead and hug Wally after a nightmare, hell, just pull him right into your lap why don't you?

_What the fuck is wrong me?!_

Even with the faint aroma of my breakfast wafting from inside the pot, my rage was unplacatable. But then what, nay, who could I be mad at but myself? Because, it had been entirely my fault that I and Wally embraced last night. This alone would be reason enough for me to be angry, but what's worse was that, at the time, in my hazy, barely awakened state, I didn't mind it one bit.

The action hadn't been thought through in the least, I decided almost immediately to give in and hug the muffin top out of empathetic understanding for him, and out of desire to do so on my part.

_I'm already failing to keep my own promise and it hasn't even been a day._

This was all a disaster, it didn't bode well in the slightest…  _And yet_ … It stirred a thought in my head.

_Maybe, since Wally was the one who instigated it, it means we might share mutual feelings about… about us…._

_**Dammit Brendan, stop being stupid!** _

There was no way I could realistically expect that to be the case. Wally had a nightmare, he was as barely awake as I happened to be at the time, and all he was doing was looking for comfort. It couldn't be because he liked me at all!

_...Could it?_

"Aghhh…" I let out a grunt of exasperation, not even paying attention to the food I was meant to be making.

I was getting far too caught up over some simple close contact, no matter how much I kept telling myself otherwise however, I couldn't shake the idea, nor the feeling, that such an embrace meant something. Perhaps I just wanted the hope; I'd fallen way to hard for the green haired boy in the next room, and I wanted to believe that despite everything, despite my own recent self discovery, that I could-

_Love him?_

Though it sounded absurd, it was true. I had fallen in love with Wally, plain and simple, and this event gave me hope, a faint spark in the darkness that gleamed with a tiny piece of happiness. I could be happy without Wally of course, but having someone around to cheer me on, someone to grow with me, someone who didn't treat me like a trophy on a pedestal… It sounded amazing really, and it was. Every step of this journey so far, even the one's I'd taken reluctantly, had been fun because Wally was around to share it with me.

True, I'd never been one for the 'journey over destination' philosophy, but I couldn't deny how much fun I'd had. Sometimes purely because he was having fun. Exactly why it was difficult to just ignore this incident; though faint, the glimmer of possibility blinded me. Even with my mind screaming at me to let it go, I didn't want to.

Wally deserved better than me, and I was being entirely selfish since I'd already dragged him into too much already, but could anyone blame me for wanting the happiness that was right in front of me? Shouldn't I be allowed some shred of cheer despite my lies and misgivings?

I sighed.

" _I'm in too deep now._ " I whispered to nobody, absently stirring the soup I'd hap-hazardly prepared for breakfast.

_I'll wait._

That's what I'll do. Of course, it was still stupid of me to believe that I had any hope of reciprocated feelings, but why not do it anyways. I'd already broken the promise I made to myself, and I'd argued with myself over this for long enough as it was, it'd be easier to just accept.  _To hope_. I'd wait just a tiny bit longer, see if Wally would show any more signs of interest in… Well, me.

If he did, I'd ask him; not all at once of course, but I would definitely talk to him about it. Still, even doing that, I wouldn't feel good about it. If it ever got that far, then I'd have to let him no more than that. Coming clean about my past, about who I was would be a given. I couldn't expect Wally to love a fake, and I couldn't expect myself to hide forever either, assuming a relationship did start up. Eventually, he'd have to know, and I'd rather he found out before he agreed to anything else that I asked of him, especially anything of the romantic kind.

_Good fucking luck getting that off your chest though Brendan, never mind the fact that Wally likely has zero interest in you at all._

Sighing again, I blocked out that last thought and decided instead to make a coffee while my meal boiled. Because even the most bitter of coffees would be nothing compared to the bitterness of my own thoughts.

* * *

"I'm surprised you came along." The witch spoke up.

She looked even more ridiculous in disguise than she did with her regular get up. Cynthia's favourite colour was black, and almost every piece of clothing she wore was as black as her heart. Now though? Well it was all I could do to hold a laugh when I first saw it; Cynthia in a colourful set of clothes? A casual green crop top and jeans no less? I'd never seen her look so… bright. Normally her presence in her dark-as-pitch get up sucked all the light; and joy, from a room.

Though, in fairness, that was not without lack of trying to do so anyway, as she was currently. But I was not going to be a victim of her intimidation any longer. This region was mine to look after, and at best she was a guest. A horrible guest; the kind that leaves rubbish on the floor and spits obscenities at you because they can, but a guest no less. Cynthia had no power over me, not here, and I was in charge of the operation against Team Aqua, not her.

"I'm surprised you bothered to open your mouth if that's all you've got. I picked the rendezvous point and the time, you should have expected me get here anyway."

I responded curtly, not bothering to add energy to my reply as I sat down at the cafe table. The table itself was made of wood, wood that had small flecks of visible sand in the gaps between it's joints and slats. Not surprising, given that we were sitting outside on the veranda of a beach side cafe.

"Hmph. Whatever…" Cynthia began, folding her arms with a devilish grin.

_Is her form of vengeance just her being the usual annoying cow that she is?_

"I suppose that also means that you've already placed all our operatives then?" She asked, almost coyly, as if to suggest I hadn't done just that.

I wouldn't bite though. Not because it was a bad move however, but more so because I was in a good mood right now, despite having to spend my time  _with her_. The breeze was pleasant, the day was warm, and I was ridiculously close to at least one of my two goals, with the distinct possibility of snagging both. In the grand scheme of things. Cynthia's terrible attempt at insulting me was even less than meaningless, at least currently.

"Placed, individually briefed and equipped for the job." I stated flatly without missing a beet.

From the look of disappoint on her face, it was fair to say Cynthia was not pleased that I was taking her jabs so well.

_Too bad for her._

"Now, how about you tell me what you've done with your half of the force Cynthia?" I asked, in a tone mimicking her earlier question.

_Ohohoho._

Though momentary, she flashed me a look of disdain. Cynthia was most definitely not enjoying the fact that she was losing this subtle game of verbal back-and-forth. Which to my mind was perfect; anything I could do to get under her skin, however small, was worth the effort. It couldn't be done in an overt or deliberate manner of course, I had professionalism to maintain after all, but that didn't mean I couldn't have a small amount of fun. Especially if that fun came at Cynthia's expense.

 _My favourite kind of fun, actually_.

"It should be fairly obvious by now that you shouldn't ask stupid questions, but since I know that you won't leave it without an answer, I'll tell you everything I've been setting up." She began, picking up her glass of cola from the table in a faint but perceivably annoyed manner.

"I've taken the liberty of having my operatives conceal themselves as tourists who explore the docks and the ocean museum. On top of this, I've also made sure port security is unaware of our presence. After all, we don't want them to over-prepare and scare our…  _guests_  away. With my lookouts stationed as they are, in tandem with your own, we have no blind-spots on the docks. Any activity, suspicious or otherwise, is within our sights." Cynthia finished, taking a sip of her cool drink from the glass before placing it back down.

She appeared triumphant, as if to tell me that I was fool for not knowing. In reality, I was already keenly aware of her plan, and how she intended to cover our blind spots with the operatives I'd given to her. It was too plain not to see, given that I knew  _everyone_  working under me for this mission.

"Oh, how quaint. I'm glad you managed to get something done. At least when Team Aqua comes along I'll know that we are properly prepared." I said condescendingly with a smile, the kind of smile one would give to a child.

It was kind of funny really. Cynthia could give out a lot of verbal punishment, but her ability to take even the most subtle of jabs was basically nil. Especially when it was given to her by someone she looked down on; oh, ego's, such terribly fragile things. Which was kind of ironic actually, given that Cynthia's ego was big enough to eclipse the moon.

Still, there was more fun to be had, and if I had roam around like a tourist while dragging her along for the ride, then so be it. After this rendezvous, we had to pretend like we were a travelling couple; another one of the multitudes of tourist couples coming in for the festival. It meant sharing a hotel room, though thankfully not a bed, and it left a horrible taste in mouth. Not only did I not find women attractive in general, but having to lie about this hag being my partner in anything, let alone love, left me with nothing but bitter aftertaste.

Though it would not be as bitter as the one left behind if I allowed Cynthia any chance of coming back with a scathing reply. In the moment she opened her mouth to hand out her judgement, I intervened.

"Well, we'd best do our rounds, in case they attack early. Coming, Cynthia?" I asked somewhat mockingly, interrupting whatever statement she was about to make.

Again using a condescending smile as both a visual aid of my obvious distaste for her, and as an incentive for Cynthia to get up from her seat and follow me out of the cafe. Doubtless she'd have something horrible to say about, or even at me, which actually made for a good motivator in her case, at least if I wanted her to move without me actually having to tell her to do it. Instead Cynthia would just get up and follow purely out of her vindictive and terrible personality.

As she readied her next salvo of subtle insults, I got up from the table, pushed my chair in, and walked off, knowing full well she wouldn't leave me be without having the last word. Which was unfortunate, because this time I wasn't going to let her have the last word. In fact, I wasn't going to let  _anyone_  have the last word.

Aqua, Magma, Cynthia, Brendan, it didn't fucking matter. I'd capture my quarry, defend my region and myself. Plus, I'd retrieved my research while doing it, and maybe even make life hell for the Aqua admin in the middle of it all.

_And not a single soul on this Arceus-forsaken earth is going to stop me._

"Steven!" Cynthia almost shouted behind me.

_Not even you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to the end notes.
> 
> The first thing I want to discuss with you is Wally's dream. I actually had to rewrite this section once or twice, since the vibe I was going for was personal terror and unease, not terror for the reader. Not everyone would be perturbed by being stuck in a void with no senses, but Wally certainly is. Why? Well, considering that Wally has always been accompanied by his Pokemon or family, and more recently Brendan, the one thing that might induce a panic would be Wally suddenly finding himself alone.
> 
> Of course that's not all, this dream is also symbolic of the idea of death, and also lacking a body as a result. I was hoping to highlight Wally's two biggest fears with it, while also giving reason for the events that transpired after the nightmare. His first fear is less immediate, and only applicable where his asthma is concerned, and that is death. His second fear is that of being alone and disconnected from the people or Pokemon he cares about.
> 
> Also, a fair point to consider, is that this dream may even be foreshadowing, foreshadowing to what, or even if it is foreshadowing, I can't say. But given the fact that I'm writing this tale, it's probably a hint for something.
> 
> The second thing I should talk about is Brendan's mental state. He's defeated, now that he's realised what it is about Wally that garner's his interest, it's too late for him to stop the floodgates. True, he embraced the green fluff-ball only because he was too tired to be fully conscious about it, but it's too late. After resolving not to let his feelings get in the way, he's done just that, not even a day apart, and now he is even entertaining the idea of talking about it with the person he happens to be smitten for.
> 
> He's also realised that he can't do that properly unless he tells Wally about his past, and even so, he's going to wait for confirmation of his particular little hope that Wally feels the same way. Since Brendan is likely to be very against the idea of revealing his misdeeds, and that Wally barely knows what love even is, this might this plan a little… troublesome.
> 
> That said, Brendan could attempt at it soon, or later than that. Unfortunately he is picking a bad time for all of this, because, as the title of this chapter states, things are about to go down hill very rapidly.
> 
> Also, while on the topic of chapter sections, the Steven section I used to highlight Steven's increasing resolve and unwillingness to let Cynthia win her game of "insult the champion". Which is good, because all his pent up anger is likely to be released against Aqua anyway, and personally, I'm kinda scared about what he'll do to them.
> 
> Assuming everything goes according to Steven's plan of course.
> 
> Anyway, I'll give the shoutouts for this week!:
> 
> A big shoutout to Mitsurausu as usual for being as awesome a person as they are, you really help to temper my drive to keep writing this fic, thank you! Secondly, a shout out to YuukixMitsuru and Doco56 for the wonderful feedback they have given me recently, I appreciate the comments on my story a lot, thank you to you both!
> 
> Anyway, with shoutouts done, and the my long winded explanation of the chapter over I'll bow out. Before I go though, I'd like to say that the next chapter is going to be quite a good one. All the things I've been building will finally come to a climax in slateport, well, some of them anyway, since this is only technically the first proper story Arc.
> 
> Still, I'll leave for now and see you all in two weeks! Have fun readers, and stay safe!


	29. Explosive revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers, sorry I'm seemingly late with this one, but this time there is a good reason. This chapter (chap 29) and the next are what I will refer to as 'season finale' chapters. They will wrap up the slateport arc, and everything in it. What does this mean? It means that both chapters will be double usual size. Yes, you heard me, this chapter is ten thousand words. Ten thousand words. I do apologise though, I had intended for this to only take three weeks, but it took slightly longer than that. The next chapter should hopefully only take three weeks also.
> 
> Sadly, work and everything else can get in the way of that. In fact, anyone reading this on the release date is likely reading this while I am working on a public holiday. Basically I've been promoted a lot since I started this story, and now that I'm heavily involved in workplace leadership I have a lot less time than I usually do (hence why my one week schedule became two). Though I did try to get this done in three, it was a lot of content to get through, and I do apologise.
> 
> That said, I want to iterate on the fact that, even if I am late sometimes, I have no intentions of ever dropping this story. Some updates could take only two weeks, some may take slightly longer, but I will not drop this story. I may take a break for occasions such as Christmas, but I intend to finish this story, because this pairing and it's fandom is dear to my heart.
> 
> Anywho, a little different from usual, but a fan of mine told me that sometimes my long winded chapter notes at the end explaining things ruin the mystery and the figuring out of the story for the reader. As such, I've decided to forgo end notes entirely at least for the two season finale chapters as an experiment. If any of my readers liked the end notes, feel free to let me know; feed back on how people see them could affect them being posted with the story, as opposed to elsewhere as a bonus material.
> 
> Also, as an aside, I will likely create a twitter account at some point where I can tweet updates about CG's release schedule (such as when a chapter is done, if it's going to be late etc). It will be something to look out for in the next chapter however.
> 
> Anyway, without further ado, I present part one of the slateport arc finale in all it's glory. Have fun readers, and let me know what you think of it!

I slept like a rock.

_It's the nightmare's fault…_

I thought to myself, trying to shake off the not so groggy, yet sleepy feeling one gets after a good, long rest. It's a hard feeling to nail down, the best way to describe it would probably be using the feeling of weightless drifting as a metaphor. It certainly felt good at any rate.

Perhaps that was due in part to what had actually happened last night.

As I glanced at the clock long enough to get a sense of time, the event that was last night played in my head.

Instinctively, I had attempted to find comfort in Ruby's embrace, only to be given that comfort by him of his own free will. Originally I had thought that such a thing couldn't happen, which was why I tried my best not to wake him up.

_But it did happen._

A fact that made me feel strange. I had known for a while now that being around Ruby affected my mental state in a positive way; even on his bad days, his presence brought me joy. A clumsy, hard-to-describe and floaty kind of joy, but joy none the less. Though it had taken some time to figure it out, I eventually came to know that Ruby was someone important to me.

It was funny; we'd barely just met after all, but we had already been through enough to become friends, and for some reason that caused my heart to flutter. If anything, I wanted to help Ruby to be happy, almost as much as I wanted to explore and see the world. It was a subtle desire, something that barely made it's way to the surface; as if to avoid my notice.

After yesterday though? It had changed. Again, the difference was minute, but it most definitely changed. Whatever it was, it lead me to think that nothing was amiss with the contact; truthfully, I wanted it to happen again. Ruby's embrace was warm and comforting, and while it seemed odd, I couldn't deny it on just the basis of weirdness. Why keep myself from feeling happy afterall?

Because it did make me feel happy; it felt secure, it felt like I was necessary, it felt...

_It felt like love._

Love was an odd word to use for it, but I had no other nomination to give. I always assumed people would only hold love with people who were close; people who were like family. That's what it always seemed like when my parents brought it up. But it wasn't a topic I was educated in, and from memory, I couldn't recall a time I in which I was given an example of a feeling like this between two… Well, boys.

Then again, I wasn't given examples for much of anything about the concept, and the little description I did know? Well, it seemed to fit. Of course, in truth, that didn't really help me either, because if it was love, I didn't really know what to do about it, or how to feel for that matter. Honestly, it felt a little foreign and distant as a concept, even if how I currently felt appeared to fit the bill.

Then again, I didn't have to think of it that way either. Whatever my feelings up to, I did know one thing: I wanted to hug Ruby again. Thought it sounded odd in my head, it was what I wanted. The rush of surprise, and then the soothing warmth still lingered like a fog over my memory; I wanted to hold, or be held. It didn't matter which, as long as it was with Ruby.

Whether or not Ruby would agree to it a second time though? That was another story, and I'd likely have to talk him into it. Sadly, that could turn out to be quite the struggle, I wasn't exactly good with words to begin with. I stuttered when nervous, and asking for another hug, or contact of any kind, would most definitely make me nervous again in the extreme. I'd probably half to prepare myself mentally all day just to ask the question.

_But I'll ask it._

I resolved as I shook off the last remnants of drowsiness.

_I'm just as odd, if not more odd, that Ruby._

Was the thought tracing behind the last as I got dressed into my usual cardigan and jean's combo.

_I should probably get new clothes too…_

Perhaps more random than the last few thoughts, but equally as valid. I did need new attire, these clothes weren't exactly putting up with all the wear they had to go through. I'd probably have to use the money from my gym winnings to buy a new set; that was a problem for another day however.

Today I had more important things to consider, like tempting Ruby into another hug, or perhaps hand holding…

_Yeah, that would be awesome._

Whatever the case, I did actually have a plan for going about it. As it happened, the 'grand evening' was on tonight. It promised to be a lot of fun, and there was even going to be a contest performance by lisia, one of the 'big three' idols in Hoenn right now, or so the flyer said. I'd use the opportunity to steel my nerves; the crowds noise would drown me out enough that only Ruby would hear me, but if I could speak my mind there, then I could speak my mind anywhere. It would be a test of my courage, and a night of entertainment.

If nothing else, I could always discuss it after the event with him.

Plus it would be fun; I'd barely ever gotten to see contests on TV before, in fact, I'd never even heard of the big three until now. The flyer told me that one of the big three was missing, but the other two were still performing. Apparently they were popular idols, and really,  _really_  good at pokemon contests. The flashy lights, the dancing Pokemon as they moved elegantly in sync with their trainers... It was something I really wanted to see happen live, right in front of me, and for Ruby to be there with me...

It just caused more butterflies in my stomach.

_Enough day dreaming about it, I need to convince him to go with me first!_

With that thought, I put on my shoes and headed towards the most likely place I'd find my friend: The kitchen.

Why? Because there was a very distinct aroma of food coming from it, and I swore I could have heard talking earlier. Too faint for me to notice what was being said, or why, but I wagered a guess it was just Ruby scolding himself for messing up his meal, or something to that effect. He wasn't usually in the habit of talking to himself after all.

"Ruuuuubbbbbyyyyyyyyyy." I called cheerfully,

* * *

 

Our hotel room was… less than comfortable.

Though I and Cynthia need not share beds, the other amenities were far from adequate. I supposed I couldn't really complain, since we'd only managed to get this room by luck. We couldn't use our true identities, nor our powers as law enforcement to get it either, to do so would be inviting unwanted attention to who we were.

Even so, with our disguises it was hard to tell who we were anyway. Cynthia alone would be near impossible to recognise; Long blonde hair tied into a bun, loose, sleeveless green crop top,  _and_  bright blue jeans? Nobody had any hope of ever figuring out she was, not unless they knew her really well before hand, and the risk of that was nil.

As for me, I put a lot of effort into my disguise, because people in this region  _would_  know me if half-assed it. If I was being honest with myself, I hated the costume, and the way it made me look. I had to dye my silver hair to a more mundane brown, and used an inordinate amount of hair gel to get it into order. Not that I attempted a style; preference was to leave the hair how it was when I got up, but I couldn't cut corners here. Instead, I swiped it back.

Adding this with a pair of sunglasses, and my casual pale-blue singlet and brown cargo pants get up, I looked like a lot of people. Yet I sure as hell didn't look like Steven Stone; like myself. Now and again I would catch myself wondering how other people would react if they knew it was me, perhaps even Wallace would be surprised. Either way though, it didn't the disguise any less annoying.

Nor did it make the other person in our room any more welcoming either.

"Do you have to scowl at me for so long? Keep it up and I wouldn't be surprised if your face stayed that way." I spoke, breaking the silence with a joke at Cynthia's expense.

Obviously, given her restless personal attacks against me, I wasn't really caring for how she felt. No, it had more to do with curiosity. Cynthia had let up on her verbal taunts, which was equal parts ominous and promising. On the one hand, she could have finally given up on the idea that I'll bow to her petty words; on the other, she might be cooking something up in the downtime.

Cynthia didn't waste words, sure, but she wasn't exactly a mute either. For her to be so silent, and simply maintain a piercing gaze, well, it had to mean something…

"... I can't wait for you to fuck up."

_Nevermind_.

If I got angry, she'd win this exchange outright, so that was out of the plan. Still, the way she had said that, it sounded less like a malicious jab, and more the whine of a child. Like she  _wanted_  me to fail.

But if we were trying to accomplish the same thing, what good would it do for her to hope that?

"And what makes you so sure that'll happen." I responded tentatively.

Humouring her with a warm smile while I propped myself against a chair was a better tactic. I could calmly weed out that last bits of doubt and spite; a day before the mission was due to begin no less.

" _Because you always do._  No matter how you look at it,  _everything_ , and I mean  _ **everything**_  leads back to you." Cynthia said, her eyes not faltering in the least.

_The fuck?_

"Are you referring to how Aqua escaped the first time? Because as I recall, that's the only mistake I've made in conducting this mission." I stated, maintaining my voice level from before.

"Oh sure,  _yeah_ , that's what I'm mad about right?" She asked in a angry tone laced with mockingly poisonous backdrop. "I can't fucking believe you Steven, do you know that?! For you to sit there and pretend like you done absolutely nothing wrong, it's fucking absurd!"

_What on earth is her problem?_

"What? So is this about what we've done so far, or about our first mission together? Because I'm telling you now Cynthia, I've done  _nothing_  wrong as far as this mission is concerned."

My response was curt, but I kept up my smile none the less. Of course, it didn't help my confusion. The only incident I could remember was my failure years ago in the 'Eclipse of Charon' mission. The details to which were only fully known by me, Cynthia and Looker.

Cynthia only deepened her scowl.

"So it  _is_  about  _that_  mission then?" I began, acting coy, widening my smile. "You know as well as I do that Charon's Eclipse was just a test mission for interpol, a test which I  _passed_ , even though the main objective was not met." I finished calmly.

It was true. I'd failed the primary objective; Charon, the leader of the resurgent Neo Team Galactic was not brought to custody. Charon himself had taken over the reigns of a team that was thought to have disbanded with their leader's death. I myself knew very little of Team Galactic before Charon's rise to power, and was only privy to their more recent crimes while under his direct leadership.

_However._

While I had indeed failed to capture him, my involvement in crushing his commanding officers in battle was what had brought Team Galactic to finally throw in the towel.

"Who gives a flying fuck about some stupid test! You can't sit there and expect me to believe you don't know how serious it is that you failed the primary objective!" Cynthia spat, her nostrils flaring with rage.

"Serious? Interpol awarded me a mission complete on the technical grounds that Charon was no longer a threat without a group behind him! The old fart was as senile and crazy as they come Cynthia. Even without capture, it would have been a miracle if he kept up that defunct organisation by himself!" I responded, my calm voice faltering and giving way to a more serious tone.

Why would she even care so much about one useless old man? He could barely battle well enough to defeat a gym leader, let alone interpol agents. On his own, he had no hope of achieving anything! What good did it do hating me for failing to bring such an unremarkable individual?

" _ **This isn't about some grade interpol gave you asshole!**_ " Cynthia shouted loudly, slamming her hands on the table.

Loud enough to startle me.

_What on earth?..._

" **This is about the fact that you let a dangerous criminal go! Because of** _ **your**_ **fuck up, other people suffered! People fucking died;** _ **Children**_ _ **fucking died,**_ **all to prevent Team Galactic's scheme from coming to fruition, and you don't even have the basic fucking decency to acknowledge that and capture the leader who tried to bring that horror back!** "

Cynthia was fuming. I'd never actually seen her mad before, at least not like this. Irritated perhaps, maybe even mildly upset, but full blown rage? Nothing about it made sense either. People suffered? Dead Children? None of the case files on Charon suggested anything of the sort. At best, he was a mad scientist bent on opening a portal to another world through the use of Pokemon. As far as dossiers for criminal's went, Charon's was actually quite tame.

" _What on earth are you talking about?!_  Who in the hell are you even referring to?! Who is they? Who died? Because nobody fucking died when I participated in that mission with you Cynthia! I swear to Arceus you make up the wildest crap to slander me wit-"

" **I AM FUCKING** _ **NOT**_ **MAKING THIS UP**." Cynthia screamed, almost completely losing it.

_Holy fucking shit…_

Though it took a second, Cynthia's expression of rage stabilized; taking in a a quick breath, she launched into another tirade.

"You can't be so dense as to believe I would fabricate something like this!  _And furthermore_ , where in the sweet fuck do you get off pretending like I have been?! It's bad enough that you think it's ok to prance about with a cocky smirk on your face after what you've done! Nevermind the fact that you pretend to not know why I can't even so much as look in your direction without pointing out how useless you truly are!" Cynthia stated shakily, hands still firmly planted on the table.

Either Cynthia was going as insane as Charon, or there was something I did not in fact know.

"I… I don't actually know why… Why you hate me. Even so, I still have every right to defend myself!" I responded, unsure of how to actually meet her most recent outburst.

Because that was also true. I didn't actually know what I'd done wrong; at first I thought Cynthia was just a bitch. Someone who disliked me for failing a joint mission with them, and was sour enough about it to keep harassing me because of it. Of course I thought she was making it up, but the more passion she threw around in this conversation, the more I just didn't know. Now more than ever, I realised that perhaps there would be another reason.

For her part, Cynthia looked at me like I had spat poison at her; the disbelief etched so finely into her gaze cut through my previous yet shakey composure like a knife.

"You…  _You can't be serious._  Don't you dare tell me you don't know anything Steven fucking Stone! That's a bold faced lie! Our region was plastered all over the world wide news for weeks because of half of the crimes Team Galactic committed.  _Don't fucking sit there and pretend you know_ _ **nothing**_." Cynthia warned.

The level of malice in Cynthia's voice was almost tangible; Cynthia never made idle threats, and right now she wasn't joking, or even being sardonic.

This was serious.

_Honesty_.

I did know nothing; I had no clue about Team Galactic before the mission, and had barely any after it. Whatever it was that happened after Charon's escape years ago, well, I'd learned nothing of it.

"I actually don't." I said, pausing and assessing Cynthia's facial expression.

She looked like she wanted to punch me in the face.

"... Look, I don't know what it is Team Galactic did, and I don't even know what happened after I failed to capture Charon. I don't keep up on current events, hell, I don't even know the trends in my own region!… I'm too busy running the league, preparing for taking over my dad's company, and dealing with…  _other_  problems, ok?... I  _don't_  have a  _single_  clue over what you've been yelling at me about." I added, trying to appear apologetic.

" _Unbelievable_." Cynthia breathed.

Like a wave, the strength and poise in her position left her. Cynthia pulled up a chair and slumped, resting her elbows on the table as she buried her head in her hands.

I didn't really know what to say to her myself. All of this was out of the blue; Cynthia had shown barely any signs of unrest before, especially nothing alluding to this level of anger. Obviously I didn't believe it justified, since I'd done nothing wrong of course, but still. For her to be this mad, something had to have happened to her. My failure years ago was only the tip of the iceberg, there was something under her skin, something that had been brought to the surface.

But when? And better still, why?

I wanted to ask about, yet the words wouldn't form. Residual shock prevented me from speaking up and interrupting Cynthia's now slightly sharp breaths.

"... Team Magma and Aqua… This operation… It reminded me of back then you know… But most of all, your attitude. Recently you've been showing that same naive cockiness that lost us our target years ago..." She spoke up, not pulling her hands away from her face.

"... Until we got to slateport, until you started to deflect valid criticism with useless sarcasm, everything was fine. But now…  _I don't want a repeat of Charon's Eclipse._ " Cynthia added, somewhat menacingly.

There was a small pause, but Cynthia finished her sentence this time.

" _I don't want to see more good people die for the sake of someone else's ideals; die for someone else's mistake._ "

Another pause, this time more lengthy and deliberate.

"But I know it will happen. You screwed up last time, and on top of that, you don't even know the consequences you accepted as the terms for your failure. You are completely oblivious." Cynthia ended, anger working its way back into her otherwise defeated tone.

"Cynthia I tol-"

"Which is why I want you to fail; this mission is less severe than that. There's only a submarine at stake, but at least if you fail this time you will  _see._ " Cynthia interrupted, still yet to reveal her eye's or expression.

Apparently I was the villain of the day. To add to that, Cynthia didn't seem to realise that I was aware of the reality of my situation. I had been since the beginning; the moment I heard about Aqua and Magma, I was fully cognizant of the threat it posed.

Cynthia did not seem to think so however. Something had occurred after my failure in the Eclipse mission years ago, and even prior to that, something horrible had seemingly happened as a result. Though it only left me confused, it at least told me why Cynthia kept throwing vitriol and judgement my way.

What good would it do to let her stew on this though? Even if I had messed up before, and even if there were consequences for it that I had not yet seen, that didn't make it justifiable.

"How do you think I feel about it?" I asked, deciding to ditch my earlier attempt at venereal sarcasm.

"Excuse me?" She responded in kind, finally lifting her head from her hands, a suspicious look adorning her face.

"Again, how do you think I feel? I'm not aware of whatever happened after the Charon disaster Cynthia, but I have my own share of problems as well. I'm under a lot of pressure right now, and you insulting me about missions long gone hasn't helped me at all."

Cynthia just stared at me in disbelief.

"How you feel? Why does that matter?! There is a job to be done, and the last time I trusted you with one, it bit me, and whole lot of other people in the ass Steven!"

_Difficult, as always._

I folded my arms and brought my posture up from the slack it was originally in. Mostly out of instinct; Cynthia would probably throw more abuse my way.

"I'm sorry." I said finally, noting how the word felt like acid on my tongue.

Cynthia didn't deserve an apology after all, not after all she had done. But, given the relative nature of her outburst, and how out of the blue it was, I had to give the benefit of the doubt. Cynthia didn't waste words, nor lie, unless a job required it. She hadn't been making up any of the anger, or information she'd thrown at me in the past five minutes.

"Whatever it is, I'm sorry for it. But I have to focus on my mission and… and other things; right now, there's no time to be dwelling on the past. We have to work together on this and you aren't making it easy Cynthia." I added, trying to appease her before she launched into another tirade.

Of course, every bit of it was true. As champion there were a multitude of things I had to worry about; Brendan's absence notwithstanding, the prime actuator of the league's governance, and it's public figure, was me. To add to that, I had to protect Hoenn from any threat that reared it's ugly head; over worked didn't even begin to describe my situation.

"I… You can't just apologise and think that will make it better… Not even Jiriachi could reverse what was done… Even then, out of all the champions, your region is one of the smallest. Until you tell me what these 'other' things you have on your mind are, I have no reason to believe that you deserve any sort of kindness, let alone forgiveness." Cynthia stated coldly.

Man, she just wasn't up to holding back tonight. What good would it do in telling her though? I doubted she would be the kind of person to blurt it out to anyone, but then, given her reputation for hating my guts… It wasn't a smart choice that was sure; riddled with complication, and yet… Not without merit.

Perhaps, even if Cynthia didn't help me with my side problem, she would still be aware of it. Enough so that she might, at the least, leave the abuse at the door and let me handle things. Normally I wouldn't consider even talking about it, given the nature of my relationship with Wallace. Cynthia however was an exception, based on her own history as a champion. Cynthia herself was presumably disinterested with romance, and gave no indication of ever caring for such, yet it was her, and her alone, that changed the legislation in her own region.

I never did keep with current events, but Cynthia's region; Sinnoh, was the first to legalise both homosexuality, and homosexual marriage. Despite my tendency to gloss over worldly details, the fervor with which she put to this task captured even the minds of my own elite four. Even Sydney, someone more nonchalantly unaware of the world than myself, was talking about it for a week or so afterwards, and I couldn't help but listen in and catch a few meagre details.

Perhaps it captured public imagination because it was outlandish; unlike the usual day to day atrocities that man commits, this was something new. A new kind of relationship, once forbidden, was now allowed to live free, free in the only region to support it.

And Cynthia? She was the sole person responsible.

Which, logically speaking, meant that despite her hatred for me, she of all people would understand my position.

Of course, even if I didn't tell her, it gave me an idea; a plan. Not only would said scheme allow me the chance to talk about Cynthia's misgivings with me, and exactly what I would have done to draw so much hatred, but it would also allow us to complete the masquerade we both were attempting for the mission.

Plus, on a completely unrelated point, it'd be a nicer way to spend the night before the eventual day that was to be tomorrow.

"You know... " I began, hesitantly "I think we both need a chance to talk about things, but this stuffy hotel room isn't helping any. How about we talk this over at the grand evening performance going on at the contest hall tonight?" I said, trying to offer a smile, even though I knew it was forced.

Judging by the look on Cynthia's face, that wasn't exactly what she planned to hear either.

"So we can slack off? Sorry, but I have no intention to join your ride of failur-"

"Look. It's not for entertainment value; we have a disguise to maintain, and it would appear very odd for a supposed honeymoon couple to miss this event. Besides, it gives us a chance to check the town and outposts on our way there. Not to the mention the din of the contest hall will be perfect to hide our conversation; nobody will hear us anyway."

Almost everything I had said was true; I did leave out the part where I was only suggesting this to give Cynthia a reason to relax for about five seconds. Not that I'd tell her that of course, but it was an important reason none the less. There was a chance she would let her guard down during the event; she'd be willing to talk. Regardless, the lighter atmosphere would be good for us both,

Though it was definitely something she had trouble agreeing with, fortunately Cynthia seemed a lot less tense when I mentioned that one such purpose was to maintain our veil of deceit. Whether or not that was a deal breaker was anyone's guess, but it was promising at least.

"It sounds like a stupid idea Steven…"

_Damn it._

"... However, I'll entertain it, on the proviso that you divulge these so called 'pressures' that apparently make an easy job so difficult."

_Excellent._

No doubt Cynthia had some other goal in mind for letting this happen, I wasn't entirely convinced she'd just agreed on the basis of all the reasons I had postulated for going to the so called 'grand evening'.  _Especially_  after everything she'd just thrown at me; completely out of the blue and coming from left field too. There was something else behind this, I was sure of it.

Then again, I wasn't about to complain.

"If we are going to go, then we should get leaving; I don't want your dawdling pace to slow me down." Cynthia breathed, letting out more of the tension from her earlier outburst before heading for the door.

_Ever quick to jump head-first into something; anger didn't really change her much did it?_

Whatever the case, I sighed and got up. A little faster than I would have liked to, since Cynthia was the one setting our pace, but all the same, I rose to meet our next 'mission'. It would be a good chance to find out how Cynthia ticked, and perhaps it would even grant five seconds of peace and fun before our operation began proper.

Though I did have to wonder why she would want to leave now, since that would make us at least two hours early.

* * *

 

Explain what just happened? I don't even think I could, I was taken aback by how casually this all just occurred.

Within moments, Wally had managed to not only win me over again with his awkward smile, but he also went so far as to say that he actually liked that I embraced him last night.

"A-Are you sure?" I offered meekly, not really expecting him to say something like that outright and so soon.

"Y-Y-Yeah, I-It was nice…" He stated, his signature blush lighting up his otherwise soft, pale face.

_That is the cutest fucking look, holy crap._

Wally was holding his left arm with the palm from his right, and I could tell it took lot of courage to say that. Then again, it was taking more than enough from me to not jump into a spree of questions; questions involving romance and possible dates, and maybe even a candlelit dinner or two.

But of course, liking being embraced, and liking the person doing the embracing were two different things. Though my non-existent hopes had been kindled, and now shone brightly, the fire was still far from being a beacon of true hope. That said, this was promising; though it wasn't certain, it would make asking easier, I'd just have to find the time and place for asking.

Well,  _first,_  I would have to find the time and place to tell Wally who I really was. Something which almost made the burning hopefulness in my chest die out completely when I remembered the conditionals for starting a relationship with him. After all, I only needed this disguise until my eighteenth birthday, but trying to keep it up for far longer than that? Not only would it be a  _lot_  of effort, but Wally deserved a hell of a lot better than being lied to.

So why did you do it to begin with?

_Thanks guilt; always helpful._

Still, I'd take steps when I needed too, for now at least, I needed an opportunity to find out why the muffin top actually liked huggi-

"Ruby?" Wally spoke up, his flaring cheeks finally calm;  _somewhat_. "There's a show called the grand evening on tonight, and a famous contest idol is going to put on a performance… I was wondering if... Well, I was w-wondering if maybe you might w-want to g-go… w-with me…" He finished, cheeks returning to their previous state of bright red.

_What?_

On the one hand, this sounded suspiciously purposeful,  _almost like a date_. There wasn't any way I was going to believe it to be the case, at least not without further questioning later, but that was definitely what it sounded like.  _On the other fucking hand,_  it involved watching a contest. More so than that, it was the word Wally used that caused a wrench in my guts.

_Idol._

_Yes, because we are just trophies on a pedestal; living embodiment of entertainment._

I hated the word, it implied both a sense of social power, but also isolation; it made the performers granted it sound like they weren't just human beings with a slightly flashier job than the usual. All the more reason for me to hate hearing it. Added to that, I was being asked to view a ritual I myself had to go through far more times than I would liked.

_And yet._...

"Wally, why do you want to go to this contest?" I queried, trying my best to not show my annoyance for the practice.

Wally's answer to this was important. Not only because it would give me more clues as to how he felt about me in particular, but it might also tell me how he viewed the people who performed these shows. Did he see them as unreachable stars, too high up the ladder for other people to speak with? Or did he see them for who they really were; people who were just doing their job like everyone else?

"U-Uh!" He squeaked, likely out of surprise.

After all, most normal people wouldn't ask why, they would just give a yes or a no.  _Sadly, I didn't fit the category of average joe_ , at least as far as everyone else thought with regards to my true identity.

In anycase, the long time it took to answer that question definitely spelt hope for the 'date' idea, since there wasn't any information I could think of that Wally would want to hide from me. There was always the possibility that he just had something he wanted to say, but no way of articulating it. Whatever the case, I wasn't given too much time to wonder, since it only took him a handful of extra seconds to tell me something.

"I just t-think… It'll be fun is all… I've never actually seen a contest before y'know? Battling is one thing after all, but I can barely imagine the kind of skill and courage it takes to perform something so cool in front of so many people… It'd be a lot of fun, and I might learn a thing or two from the person performing!" He said hastily, as if trying to keep the conversation from it's current track.

That in it in itself was intriguing, but the part that caught my interest was how he had referred to Lisia.

Lisia wasn't my favourite individual, her and my sister; the other two of the big three besides myself, they had a tendency to tease me backstage whenever we did combined performances. Despite that though, she had feelings, and plenty of aspirations, while I couldn't really agree that being the best idol in the world was a 'good' ambition, it was something at least. Something Wally took notice of without even realizing.

His fascination wasn't the lights, or the flashy moves, it was the emotional aspect. Performing on stage did take courage; I myself had grown used to it, but that didn't make it any less taxing, especially for up and coming idols. From what I could gather, it was a source of inspiration for him; if a person like Lisia had the courage to put on a show in front of thousands, who's to say Wally himself couldn't achieve his own ends with a little bit of determination.

Looking at it that way, Contests almost seemed noble.

_Almost._

In truth, Lisia's courage and personal strength were nothing more than momentary fancy for onlookers, she was just a shiny object prancing about the stage to the usual viewer. Wally's perspective was unique, and thoughtful, but it wasn't shared by everyone else. No, to the rest of the people of Hoenn, we were just puppets dancing on a string.

My manager, my mother, and everyone I had ever dealt with while working in my previous career had taught me that, and it wasn't about to change.

_Still…_

"All right. I don't see why not." I said, avoiding the temptation to smile at the green haired boy.

His face lit up almost immediately, responding not soon after I had agreed to the idea with an ecstatic and cheery smile.

"R-Really?!"

_Sweet Arceus, I'd jump in front of a rampaging Rhydon for you if you asked to with that look on your face._

"Yeah, of course." I replied, affirming my agreeance with a subtly abashed smile.

There were  _many_  reasons not to go, but then, I would lose equal opportunity in doing so. Not only would going to this contest provide a nice trip for Wally, it would let me scope out the idea of it being a sneakily asked date. More so than that, a performance from one of the top three, in an arena filled with noise? It made for not only the perfect backdrop for telling Wally who I really was; context is important after all, but it would also give a nice sound cover. Failing that, if the contest began later on at night, then after it concluded, I'd be able to take Wally out to the dimly lit pier and tell him about my real name and face in private seclusion anyway.

To many opportunities; far too many for me to consider missing them just because of my disdain for the practice of contest performing on the whole.

"Oh, but before we go, do you want anything to eat? I can stir up something really quick if you don't want the soup in the pan here, since I probably screwed it up…" I said, realising it would be wise to fill up on food before going to a 'grand evening' that was likely to have none on offer.

"O-Oh! Sure! If the soups ok, I'll have that!" Wally responded, his confidence steadily returning at the mention of food.

_You always did have quite the appetite for someone so small._

Ah well, there was no harm in it. With my hopes kindled, I'd be far less distracted if we had to cook up something else anyway. Plus, without the pit of doubt holding free reign, my desire to eat was beginning to return.

_If the soup is bad, I'm going to have to switch to plan B: Bacon carbonara pasta, with a few sprinkled helpings of parmesan on top for good measure._

* * *

 

"It's about time lass, I was beginnin' ta think ya lost yer way!" Archie said with a smirk.

The boss always did enjoy a little banter before a mission. I liked to think it was his way of getting in the mood for the job ahead; I wasn't a slouch in verbal exchanges either however.

"I'm surprised you even remember there was a way,  _sir_." I said in jest.

Archie just shook his head and gave a hearty laugh.

"Good ta see yer in high spirits Shelly! You'll need ta be if yer gonna be commandin' our main force! Speakin' o which, have ye gotten everythin' ready for the heist lass?" The boss asked, the smile on his face indicating he was aware of the answer I would give.

_He just wants to make certain, I can't fault him for that._

"Yes sir. All troops are deployed and in position,; they await my signal and are stationed inside the one blind spot that no security can cover. This will be a cake a walk." I replied confidently.

After all, how could I be wrong? Nobody was aware of our plans to steal the submarine, but even if they were, who would think to check the sea surrounding slateport for our troops stations? The chance of being found out before hand was almost nil, nevermind the chance of anyone actually being able to stop us.

Upon commencement of the operation at boss's word, Archie would sneak in through the flood gate with his own elite team, cloaking with the power of their dark/water type pokemon and thus catch the staff inside of the B-11 shipyard; where the sub was being housed, completely unaware.

Meanwhile I, the temporary leader of Aqua, would immediately shift all the troops under my command into their offensive positions, blocking all access to the B-11 shipyard in the process, and set off a bomb inside the local ocean museum. We would spearhead the diversion; by distracting any potential local enforcement in town with an explosion.

It was brilliant, perhaps too brilliant, but that was to be expected of Archie.

"Excellent work lass, that sub is as good as ours. I'll head off ta rendezvous with the huntail squad and prepare for the operation. Don't spend too long dawdlin' about settin' up the bomb in the museum." Archie said before turning and walking off toward the direction the beach shore at the other end of slateport; toward the brilliant sunset as the light cascaded upon the barely visible waves.

I gave a quick look to the complex I was standing in front of; the museum itself, before I called out my affirmative.

"Don't worry sir, I plan to finish my job well ahead of time!" I said with confidence.

Archie merely gave an acknowledging wave as he walked off, but I could tell he was smiling. I couldn't prove it of course, but I knew he was; both of us were fired up to give slateport a show it would never forget.

_And what a show it will be!_

* * *

 

The din of the crowd was deafening. I was right to choose this as the perfect time to speak with Cynthia about matters far more sensitive I would normally discuss, especially with someone such as her. Not only did the noise actually necessitate half shouting, just to have a conversation, but it barely travelled a few centimeters before the tumultuous uproar from the crowd obliterated said speech, and all remnants of said speech entirely. Thanks to this, and seat spacing, my plan had every chance for success.

Plus, the show itself would help to relax the both of us. Not that I was getting concerned for Cynthia or anything, but the fact that her usual demeanour cracked before she spat out word after word of condemnation alluded to the idea that she wasn't as collected as she lead me to believe. It also proved that, even though I didn't deserve the abuse, there was a quite a powerful reason behind it.

Again, my ignorance of worldly affairs meant I had no clue why, but tonight promised the opportunity to find out. Perhaps I would even be granted the chance to prove my innocence in whatever matter she held against me, or at least the ability to make amends.

I was certainly less mad at her, to say the least, but then that might be because I had every intention of directing that anger towards annihilating Aqua tomorrow when they reared their ugly heads in  _my_  city; in  _my_  region.

_I'd make them pay dearly_.

All the rage I couldn't aim at Cassandra's wrinkled face, I'd just aim at them, and once swept under the rug, I'd go for their sister organisation and repeat the process. I almost twitched at the prospect; Atropos and I hadn't had the chance to go all out against other trainers in a few months now. The notion of having available targets for my brooding anger, and Atropos's love for battle? It almost ignited my old passion for battle.

_Almost, but not quite._

Because there were many other things to take care of besides; I had to find Brendan, keep up with league governance, and eventually attempt at legalising what Cynthia already had done in her own region. Not to mention the press coverage I'd likely have to deal with if Aqua or Magma made big movements; the public would find out eventually if I didn't deal with them in time.

Exactly why it was necessary that I sort out Cynthia's problem with me. If we could work together, even in silence, as opposed to in fighting, I might actually be able to keep all of this quiet.

_But first I have to find out what is on her mind…_

I moved in my seat while watching the performer; our regions idol of glamour, Lisia. As she ducked and dived to the roar of the crowd, soaring through hoops on the back of her Altaria, I formulated my first question. It's not that I didn't know what to ask, it's that saying it wrong guaranteed the wrong answer.

So I continued watching, slightly in awe of Lisia's agility as she managed to pull of consecutive mid air back flips  _in her dress_ , only to land on the back of her Altaria,  _in mid-air,_  with fluid grace and composed poise.

So incredible was her acrobatics, I'd almost become distracted from the task at hand. Eventually, I resolved to simply speak, as choosing words wasn't getting me anywhere. Better to make a mistake then nothing at all; there would be no point in bringing Cynthia here if I didn't speak to her about the topic at hand.

"So…" I began, attempting at shouting over the crowed while I leaned a little closer in my seat. "I hate to be blunt; but why  _do_  you treat that mission failure as a catastrophe when we effectively disbanded Charon's entire organization?" I finished, perhaps too directly.

Cynthia stirred, and for all of a second, I thought she was going to break into a enraged shouting match; her expression seemed to show that possibility at least. Then, as if by happenstance, it softened. Almost like a memory had hit her.

A fond memory.

"I thought you knew about Galactic; anyone chasing after them would have the right mind to research them after all. I thought you were aware of how important it was that I catch the man responsible for inventing, and creating the other-world portal for Cyrus's use in his stupid fucking plans…" She shouted in return, yet only barely audible, even with only the passive din of the crowd in the theatre.

Other-world portal?

"You mean Charon opened a portal of some kind?" I asked, attempting to keep just above the noise level.

"He… He combined the power of the platinum orb with a technology he created. It was meant to open a gate to a dimension long since sealed, and for good reason." Cynthia stated harshly.

So Charon fell into the trap of taking things too far? That didn't sound like such a tragedy, the dimension would have been sealed after all. Something so supposedly horrible wouldn't have survived long, at least not if Cynthia was around.

"Why hold a grudge for that though? Surely their are wors-"

" **Because it was that exact mad ambition that took lives. Galactic killed anyone in their way. I lost two of my precious gym leaders; two of my friends, trying to stop them! And if that wasn't enough, when the portal opened, I failed to protect the three most promising-…** " Cynthia trailed off.

Something happened in that other world, and it was apparently enough to silence Cynthia. More than that even. Cynthia looked like she was at a funeral right now; a forlorn expression, a lack of the previous fire who's spark vanished almost immediately after mentioning the 'promising three'.

"I hate to have to ask Cynthia." I started, trying to give a comforting, understanding smile. "But what exactly happened with this 'other world' portal issue? Did you go inside-?

" _ **We**_ _went inside._ " Cynthia raised her voice through gritted teeth, actually managing to to make the crowd seem dim in comparison for a split second.

After a small moment, and a long, barely audible exhale, Cynthia spoke again.

"My three most promising league challengers and I went in, I tried to stop them but… they… they wouldn't listen... Lucas, Barry, Dawn, they all insisted that they help me to defeat Cyrus before he woke up Giratina." Cynthia said, voice wavering from strength to weakness wildly.

"So you let them come along?" I asked on instinct, before realising that the question was a horrible one to pose to her right now.

" **I didn't let them! They were going to** _ **battle me**_ **if I didn't agree! I didn't have time to-!** "

"Ok, ok! S-Sorry! I just didn't think they would be so adamant is all…" I responded hastily, too caught up in my miscalculation to even pay attention to the display happening in front of the crowd.

Before it captured my attention; Lisia was very skilled, but now I was too absorbed in the conversation. There was something at the bottom of this story that I wanted to know, and it had everything to do with the three people called 'Lucas', 'Barry' and 'Dawn'.

"Who are these three you keep talking about?" I inquired hopefully, wishing that my earlier mistake hadn't cost me the whole conversation.

"Friends.  _They were my friends_ … All three of them were talented, perhaps more so than I was at their age. At only sixteen, they had defeated all of my gym leaders, and had assisted me in fighting team galactic many times before the portal opened… Lucas, Barry, Dawn, they all travelled together, and I got to know them well. I was hopeful..." Cynthia paused deliberately.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say Cynthia was as close to tears as I'd ever seen her. Which was an odd thought; even I was more likely to cry when compared with Cynthia. Cynthia never showed signs of emotional weakness when on the job, or off it. It just didn't happen, and yet…

"...  _They died._ " She finished, almost choking on the words.

It was quiet, and I had to strain my hearing a lot when she said it, but I picked it up none the less after separating it from the loud noise in the crowd.

It all made sense now. Cynthia had fought Galactic, while her friends died trying to help her, and the man who made it possible for the other world portal to even open was Charon.

_Which is why she hates me for allowing him to get away…_

"... I couldn't punish Cyrus, because he died as well; the only person to make it out of that portal alive was me... Lucas, Barry, and Dawn put the lives of their pokemon, and their own lives on the line. They took back the platinum orb from Cyrus, and gave it to me so I could seal the portal again... But with the orb gone, Giratina went out of control." Cynthia paused again, this time showing alarming signs of rising anger.

" **I messed it up. I was supposed to be the one to save** _ **them**_ **, not the other way around! As champion that was my fucking duty, and I failed!...** _ **And you, you made it worse!**_ **That bastard Charon is still alive somewhere and you let him get away!** " Cynthia shouted, almost outmatching the cheers of the audience even.

"Cynthia I had no clu-"

" _ **And now.**_ " Cynthia interrupted poisonously, now eclipsing the volume of everyone in the immediate vicinity. " _ **You are going to tell me EXACTLY how 'pressuring' your fucking job is, and believe me, unless you happen to have a terminal fucking illness I don't know about, I am NOT likely to give a flying fuck about it!.**_ " Cynthia finished, her voice raised far too high for this conversation.

I was caught between sympathy, and righteous anger. Yes, it was horrible what happened; I still didn't even know the full story around it. In fact, I'd only just learned of all of this; but for her to act like I didn't have my own share of problems either?

_No, fuck that._

I'd been accommodating enough; Cynthia had no right to lash into me in the middle of the crowd while we were on a mission. Sure, I failed at bringing in her only chance at vengeance, that was true, but I wasn't about to be made into a permanent punching bag out of pity for her. I was not responsible for those deaths, and even she should have known that. Cynthia was just projecting the responsibility; her composure was cracking because her desired prey was fighting back.

_To hell with that._

I lost my cool. My emotional balance snapped in an instant in response to being made the practice target for Cynthia's immense hatred. Without even thinking about what I was saying, I broke into a loud tirade, looking Cynthia directly in the eye all the while as she sat across from me.

" **Only a**   **terminal illness huh? You know Cynthia, I feel bad for you, I really do, but I'm NOT the one responsible for what happened! No amount of lashing out at me is ever going to change that fact! And you know what?! I have my own fucking problems too! I have to put up with running this shit show of a region, catching a group of assholes bent on ruining my day, and in between finding the time to weed out that** _ **fucking brat of a kid Bre**_ _-_ "

" _Excuse me, but could both of you_ _ **shut the fuck up!**_ _Me and my bo- me and my friend are trying to enjoy the fucking show!_ " came a voice from behind us, interrupting my angry protest.

On instinct, and perhaps on the high energy of the moment, both I and Cynthia turned, ready to face the new entrant with just as much rage as we would have thrown at each other. Yet, when I turned, I was met with a sight so mind-boggling that I not only beat Cynthia to the punch in speaking up, but that my mood shifted drastically while breathing the next word aloud.

Even amongst the noise and din of the crowd, my question echoed in my head, as I came face to face with a goal that had so far eluded my grasp.

" _B-Brendan?!"_  I shouted instinctually at the teen I saw.

His description matched the one I was given a while back; I was staring right up into the eyes of the person I was searching for the past couple of weeks.

Eyes that shifted from anger into shock upon hearing me utter Brendan's name. Not soon after shifting into direct panic as the boy grabbed the hand of another, pale-skinned, green-haired teen beside him and got up with enough force that the other boy almost yelped.

Despite the protests of his presumed friend, despite the fact that my quarry was quite literally leaving my line of sight in panicked haste, the surreal nature of the coincidence paralysed me.

_But only for a moment._

" **Steven! Who the fuck was-!** "

" _ **No time to explain!**_ " I yelled, interrupting Cynthia's question as I got ready to bolt after my target. Hurriedly getting up from my seat and springing up right.

…  _Only for Cynthia to grab my fucking arm and stop me!_

" _Let me go Cynthia! I have to go and catch that little bra-!_ "

_**BANG.** _

The crowd went silent. Eerily silent.

Cynthia had a look of utter disbelief; I was still trying to process how an explosive sound came from out of nowhere and overpowered the noise of everyone in this theatre. It sounded like it was close; like someone had set off a grenade, but a grenade with the kick to take out an entire building in one blast.

_What the fuck is going on?!_

" _They're attacking early…_ " Cynthia breathed in shock.

_Who is atta- Oh sweet fucking Arceus, NOT NOW OF ALL TIMES!_

"Steven! We have to go,  _now!_ " Cynthia shouted, getting up from her own seat, grabbing my hand and forcefully pulling me as she began to run.

She was strong too, strong enough to show no signs of fatigue while she pulled me along at breakneck speed, darting through the crowd with precision all the while.

Every part of me screamed to break the contact, to chase after the person who I'd been looking for. The appeasement of Cassandra's blackmail had been sitting above from me this entire time, and I'd been close enough to even see the look of dread on Brendan's face as I realised who it was that interrupted us.

It was  _right there_ … Yet I had not acted in time, if I wasn't so dumbfounded at seeing him unexpectedly, I would have been able to at least cuff him to a theatre chair while I dealt with the cause for this explosion.

That didn't matter now though; an opportunity was sorely missed.

_Dammit,_ _ **Dammit, DAMMIT**_.

With the people around us going into panic, it would be impossible to find him again, not that I'd get the opportunity to find him at all. Even if I could pick Brendan from the crowd now, chances are he had already escaped the building, he did leave before the explosion after all. Plus, if I broke off, I would be deserting my mission, my region's safety, and Cynthia.

Though the proverbial carrot was indeed being dangled on the proverbial string no more than five feet from my proverbial fucking face, the risk for trying to get it would be too high, and the likelihood of reward far to low to justify.

_Fuck it…_

I gave in to Cynthia's strength, and began to run at even pace besides her, now actively avoiding the crowd in unison with her. If I couldn't have Brendan today, at least I knew his last known location. Plus, Brendan didn't know my identity; I was in disguise during this whole event. Which was a positive thing since he still had no clue who I was, let alone the fact that I was actively seeking him out.

As Cynthia and I finally ran through the last corridor and exited the contest theatre to meet the open night air, a thought struck me.

If nothing else, and even without the aforementioned Brendan encounter, I did have at least one thing going for me tonight.

_My Aquatic punching bag has arrived._

* * *

 

"R-R-Rubbyy-yy" Wally spluttered as I ran, pulling him along.

I could tell he was close to being winded; he wasn't capable of keeping up with my pace at all.

"R-Rub-by, pleee-pleeashh!" Wally coughed again.

I was concerned,  _really fucking concerned_.

To many things were happening at once. First some random asshole manages to somehow recognise me  _through my fucking disguise_. Not only did that ruin my holiday plans for the week off here by cutting it a day short in order to leave, but it also meant that said person was likely to plaster that information all over the news at some point.

_If he told anyone, and I was still waiting here, I would be found out._

I couldn't let that happen, even if it meant leaving, right the fuck now.

Which, in itself wouldn't be such a terrible prospect if it weren't for the fact that the  _fucking oceanic museum_ _ **exploded!?**_

So not only did I have to run at high speed toward the hotel to grab my shit, and Wally's stuff so we could leave, but I had to do it while pushing past all the frantic people about the streets! Personally, I didn't give a damn if the building blew up or not, but everyone else was going crazy over it! Police sirens, the rushing of hurried footsteps, the sound of all the nearby people shouting and exclaiming surprise. All of it was noisy and horrible.

Which would make it even worse, now that I thought about it; just imagine the fucking headline. 'Sighting of top three idol caught amongst explosive chaos' or something to that likeness. To add to that even, it practically ruined my chance at talking to Wally, and the whole evening as a result. I was making progress too! Right before that asshole and the woman in bright clothing got into a shouting match, I was on the cusp of telling Wally who I really was!

Hell, I was pretty sure, after what Wally explained before that, that he was asking for a date when he suggested going to that god-forsaken theatre. Though Wally hadn't given the word outright, I was beginning to think it was because he didn't actually know what a date was. Which, in the middle of the moment, was actually Arceus-damned cute. It didn't just kindle my hopes, it turned them into an inferno.

I was right, Wally did like me, and I happened to feel the same. All I had to do was reveal who I was and hope for the best…

_I was so close…_

Instead of that happening though, I was now running across town to-

"Rub-by  _Pl-lease! c-can't br- breathe!_ " Came a raspy voice from the boy I was pulling along.

_Even though I want to go, I don't want to hurt you either…_

"S-Sorry! I'll slow down!" I almost shouted, halting my running pace for a more brisk walking one.

True to my word, I slowed down enough that Wally wouldn't have breathing issues. Of course, once his asthma calmed down, I knew I would face questions. Questions that would have been  _far_ easier to answer in the contest hall than here, or in the hotel.

After all the progress, after all the laid back fun, this was the turning point. Once Wally got his breath back, it was crunch time. Maybe the situation could still be salvaged if I told him calmly, even amidst the chaos. Everything in the past ten minutes was nothing more than a crazy haze of ridiculous circumstances; situations which only made me angry thinking about them.

In the end though, there was still hope. I had deciphered that Wally did like me, I was almost ninety percent sure of it in fact. Of course, my own confession had now been made that much harder, and more momentous, but I still had a chance.

There was still hope!


	30. Chaos and melancholy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm really sorry for being late with this, I've been really stressed since the Christmas rush is in full swing at work. I tried to relieve the stress through drawing, but that had limited effectiveness, and I've not been on top of anything all that much as a result. But the season finale is here, and it's massive. 10K as I did say, and it sets up for the next 'season' of CG nicely. Of course, with the release of this chapter, I will return to my normal 2 week schedule, however not for these next two weeks. Given that Christmas is only going to get worse, I need to take an as much time as I can to brace and recuperate.
> 
> Don't worry, I'll still be releasing the next chapter after this one, but it won't be released till around the 7th(ish) of january, just so I can get my baring with everything. After that though, it should be business as usual.
> 
> Also, as an aside, the support for end notes returning is pretty much unanimous, so I had to bring them back ^___^ thank you for all the feed back on it.
> 
> Now go ahead and enjoy this chapter!

Panic.

A singular word, lacking both impact and descriptiveness. Yet, it fit the scene I had come to behold perfectly.

I had hints of course; plenty of them.

The first giveaway was the noise that happened during our chance meeting with my target. Next in tow for valid signs of outward unrest was the rush of people as they ran in all directions; a maelstrom of frightened bodies, regulars and performers alike. Perhaps the most obvious clue, and the third giveaway to the sheer panic outside the contest theatre, was the volume.

People chatter, shout, and gossip, as people do. Catastrophes were no exception, nay, if anything, disasters exacerbated that problem. Tonight was demonstrating that clearly.

Cynthia and I escaped the hall through speed alone; lingering any longer than we had would have seen us having to push through manic crowds behind us. Given the clog already forming at the door, the prospect of having to do that would have only made me angrier. Because really, what a horrible time of things it had been so far. Cynthia being her usual self, the looming threat turned immediate danger that was Aqua, and Brendan once again escaping my clutches.

Which, perhaps in the moment, served as good motivation, but it didn't dim the problem itself at all.

Especially not after reaching open air; only to be held still by Cynthia as she looked ahead of us after reaching the door.

Out of instinct, I followed her gaze.

Only to have the expected meet my sight; the whole city was up in chaos, and amidst it all? A towering column of smoke. The plume hovered ominously above the city, above all the frantic people below, with a menace that unnerved me. An artist might call such a scene surreal, or breath-taking; it was both of those all right, but not for good reasons. It was a wake up call.

Until now, I'd assumed very little of both teams. Sure, Aqua had a large base, but they were small; they're manpower compared to the local enforcement of any large town was lacking. If we only knew they're direct location, they would have been easy to catch. Perhaps that part still rung true, but if so, how could they have been brazen enough to do  _this_  to slateport. Originally, I thought this would involve simple theft, that Aqua would merely steal off with the submarine in the dead of night.

Except, they did more than that. As the sirens for the local fire brigade and police department blared throughout the city, I had become keenly aware of just how threatening this had become. Aqua struck a day early, set of a bomb either near, or inside the oceanic museum, and were now using that as a cover for their real goal. There was no way to pin any of this chaos on anyone else; no other group, besides magma, had this level of influence.

_This_ _**has** _ _to be nipped in the bud._ _**Today** _ _._

"Cynthia!" I shouted, breaking us both free of our flabbergasted awe.

Except the look on her face wasn't awe at all.

_It was rage._

"This…  _is not happening again!_ " She shouted back, not even bothering to turn her head to look at me.

_Again?_

"Steven, come on!" Cynthia yelled one last time before tugging me with force; force enough that I was surprised she didn't dislocate my damned shoulder!

"C-Cynthia! W-We need to form a plan first! We can't just run headlong int-"

"Like fucking hell we can't! Do you want to save slateport or not?! We  _don't_  have any time left, now stop lagging behind me and get a move on!" She interrupted. pulling even harder.

_To hell with this!_

"Cynthia, you have fucking focus!" I exclaimed, pulling my arm from her grasp, causing her to stop.

Cynthia turned, the look on her face showed plenty. She was  _pissed_. At this point, she might even be more angry about this than I was, which, circumstances considered, was completely ridiculous.

"We can't just go in, pokeballs in hand and flamethrowers blazing! At the very least, we have to approach carefully.  _Look!_  Just look at the blast area for half a second, and you'll see what I mean!" I said with force, knowing full well why just running ahead was a horrible idea.

For her part, Cynthia entertained the notion for a second, but just long enough to realise what I was getting at.

"Aghhhh!  _SHIT!_ " Was the response given.

I only nodded in reply.

Because, it really was a bad idea to rush straight for the boatyard. The museum was directly in the way. We'd have to go right through, or just besides the blast zone. The problem with that was simple: Aqua had blown it sky high, which meant that they had people stationed further in than just the shipyard. Running through it now? It was tantamount to walking into a waiting trap. Though it burned me to even consider slowing down, we had to solve this problem with cau-

" _Fuck it._ " Cynthia breathed, grabbing my arm and pulling again.

"C-Cynthia wait!" I responded in surprise.

_You just realised why this was a bad idea, stop dammit!_

"If we give them any more time, they'll just get away again!" Cynthia began, shouting despite her speed. "So here's the deal asshole, We're both going to plow right through their front door; if we meet resistance,  _I'll squash it beneath my heel._ " She intoned with a level of malice I'd not heard in her voice before.

I gulped just a little.

But would her anger even be enough? We'd only brought two pokemon each; if we did bring our whole team and got into a fight, our identity would be discovered, so we had to travel light. I wasn't even aware of what Pokemon Cynthia had brought in all honesty, so I couldn't say for certain that a team battle would work either.

Normally Cynthia was cocky, but never so much so that she would consider barging into an obvious trap! Her methods were clinical; strikes surgical, when it came to precision battling, and investigating, that was Cynthia's modus operandi.

_What on this Arceus forsaken earth has gotten into you Cynthia!_

Of course, she did had a point. Dawdle too long, and we'd miss the opportunity to stop Aqua at all. Frankly, we just didn't have a choice in the matter.

"All right, fine!" I began, shouting in response and picking up my pace. "But if this goes south, it'll be on  _your_  head this time!"

Cynthia merely grunted at me in response; only letting go of my arm when she was sure I was keeping up with her.

Something about all this was incredibly off, and the suspicion that might have something to do with what Cynthia was talking about earlier was climbing high on the suspect list as the reason behind it. When she first started working with me, she was fine, but recently, and out of nowhere, she'd grown more and more unstable about this whole situation. From everything she'd told me, galactic had done horrible things; but they weren't the problem here, or anymore for that matter. What was it that had drawn out this much anger, this much hatred in Cynthia? At first, she said it was me, that my cockiness had brought memories of our last mission together.

However, that reason didn't hold water. If I really was the one at fault, then why even put up with me, why not investigate on her own without me? She was on leave, she didn't have to work with me to solve this problem, yet Cynthia came to me anyway. Ever since we came to slateport, ever since the clock on Aqua's proposed siege began ticking, Cynthia kept getting more and more intense.

Despite all the chaos around me; the bumbling reporters, the sirens of the fire response crews, and all the people standing shocked in the streets, my morbid curiosity for why still muted it all.

* * *

 

_Look at them run._

The sight before me was hilarious. Enough so that I chuckled a tiny bit in spite of my composure.

Explosions do tend to rouse the rabble after all; as it was right now, the whole city was in a state of hysteria. Hysteria that could be seen even from here, in front the source of the very explosion I used to induce this marvelous panic.

I didn't normally delight in overt entry methods; covert just offered more fun and incentive a lot of the time, but then, who was I to complain about this plan really. I'd been given command of all squads, Archie's elite team notwithstanding, and it felt  _great_. As exciting as espionage was, it couldn't compare to the utter thrill my current situation brought me. Here, amidst the chaos of slateport, during its most important yearly festival, we of team Aqua would burn our presence into the minds of everyone in Hoenn.  _I_  would make our team feared across the region with our actions here tonight, an idea that almost made me shiver.

Who could blame me for the joy? Well, likely a lot of nobodies, this city was probably full of them. Their opinion was irrelevant on the matter of course; Archie's vision was paramount to the world's future, and we,  _I_ , would make sure it succeeded.

Perhaps it was my admiration, or the mood in the air as sirens blared and the authorities neared my position, that caused me to steel my will. Whatever the case, I didn't have much time till their arrival; till I would be granted the chance to show team Aqua's might to the world.

"Carvanha we've got their attention, begin the second phase, relay to the other squads that they are to take up their offensive positions." I spoke into my communication earpiece with confidence.

"Affirmative commander." Came a curt, yet equally confident reply.

_Perfect._

Carvanha squad would blockade the front entrance to the shipyard, while huntail squad; Archie's squad, would steal the sub. If all went well, Archie would rendezvous with Maril squad just outside the harbour, submarine in tow. Of course, the actual ground work would be done by the Alpha squadron of this operation: Kingdra squad, my team. We would cut off the land route between slateport and the entrance to the B-11 shipyard, by meeting any and all resistance the city could muster against us and our attempted theft.

The diversion acted as both the distraction, and the point of all potential conflict; if we did our jobs perfectly, Carvanha Squad shouldn't even have to lift a finger.

And I had every intention of executing this operation to perfection.

"All right boys! We've struck the hornets nest, now fan out! I'll deal with the main front, I want the rest of you to cover my blind spots!" I shouted, setting up for stage two of our plan. "If any of you hear a fight brewing on the main line, come running, we need to keep out any intruders away from our prize!" I finished, equally as loud.

With a wicked grin, and an attitude to match, I pulled out the ball for mightyena, calling out my ether faithful partner Mizu. In a flash of light, my pokemon emerged, black flur glistening slightly in the now low evening light.

Mizu came up to me, a soft murmur escaping her muzzle; she'd been wanting for action for some time now, tonight would definitely give Mizu the fill of excitement she needed.

"Good girl…" I said softly, taking note of the directions my team went off in.

_Excellent, their positions will be set up in seconds... Now for mine._

"Mizu, I need you to cloak us, if we have to battle, I want the element of surprise." I spoke softly again, inflecting my tone to have more compassion than usual.

There was double advantage in this. No one in this city  _should_  be aware of our heist outright, as such, I was to only engage law enforcement in battle once Archie contacted me after commandeering the submarine. It would be unnecessary under normal mission objectives, but Archie wanted to send a message to Hoenn, and send it properly. However, he didn't want to endanger our plans either, which is why fighting would be limited to when there was no chance of losing our precious target. Or so it should be; if law enforcement was clued up enough to know anything of what was truly going on… Well, I'd greet them earlier than what was planned.

When all was said and done, we'd leave under the cover of dark type cloaking, since we'd be well under the moonlight by such a time, and therefore impossible to trace even under the weakest of pokemon cloaks.

As me and Mizu faded out of the light, blending with the background, I played with the thought of messing with our prey before presenting the real fight.

"This is going to be so much fun, isn't it Mizu?" I asked in anticipation, knowing full well that she was game for this.

A low bark was my answer; the best possible in my opinion.

* * *

 

"Wally grab your things!" I exclaimed a little loudly for an inside voice as I frantically grabbed all my possessions.

The room was littered with evidence of our existence here. Plates on the table from our last meal, dishevelled bed sheets strewn about the floor beneath the beds themselves, and our bags near the door. That made no mention of the state of the kitchen, nor the bathroom. We were going to leave all of that and check out without even caring for clean up. Under normal circumstances we'd at least attempt at tidying it, but today was anything  _but_  normal.

Explosions, random people recognising my true self, and people running around in the streets. If there was ever a time that I felt spooked, it was now. I didn't want to stay longer than necessary, and though I felt bad enough to slow down for Wally's sake, I couldn't let it stop me. Being caught here meant being sent back to that hag of a mother; back to being the very thing lisia had become before her performance was interrupted today.

An object of opulent glamour; without will or thought of its own.

 _A thing to be adored as it sits on a pedestal_.

**Fuck that.**

Like hell I'd be caught here, especially when I was  _this_  close to some degree of happiness. To have my journey end here, just before I could confess how much I truly enjoyed Wally's presence in it all? It was unbearable; my unease mounted with each passing second, my anger burning low in my chest, fuelling my determination to push forward.

"R-Ruby, what's going on? who is Brendan? Why are we running?" Wally asked frantically, picking up his possession and stowing them in his bag despite the confusion on his face.

The questions resonated in my head.

Earlier I had every intention of answering them, even if they hadn't actually been asked at that point. But now? Now was  _not_  the time for this. It would take up escape time, and it was nowhere near as perfect as the moment that was spoiled for me at the theatre. There was just too many variables and problems for answering it. For all I knew, and even though it stung to think about, Wally might even decide to let me leave without him if I told him now.

Of course, Wally ditching my lying ass would be understandable, and well, a big possibility in itself. Yet, I wanted time to stomach that. Dealing with this problem while in the middle of fleeing a city didn't provide that, so the answers would have to wait.

"Ruby?" Wally asked again, this time with a hint of worry.

I couldn't blame him, the silence between us, in the space between his questions, was deafening. Soul crushing even. It was in the middle of that lack of sound that my lies sang the loudest. Repeating in my head as I realised that I was against the clock now. I couldn't take my leisurely time to tell him now, it was too late, Wally knew something was up.

But I'd be damned if I'd lose him the chaos of this town; I'd answer for my petty manipulation once we escaped, and not a moment before then.

"Wally." I spoke into the still, stuffy air around me.

I let out a breath, packing all my important items into my backpack, one of them being the case full of contacts that had been a critical factor in enabling my deception. A deception which now reared it's ugly head at me, beckoning me to give out the truth.

I would meet that gaze in time.

"There are.. A  _lot_  of things I want to tell you. I'd planned to tell you tonight actually… We have to leave first though, I can't tell you why yet but… Soon I will." I stated bluntly, keeping my gaze away from Wally, focusing on my bag and it's contents.

"... All right." Wally said softly.

_Damn it._

He was being too trusting again. Even when faced with the potential for truth, he still trusted me enough to let it drop… Why? Sure it made the moment less problematic, but on the whole, I wouldn't have this kind of difficulty overall if he wasn't so understanding. If he'd just been like everyone else, I wouldn't have even liked him, and I wouldn't be trapped in this situation.

I turned my head to look in his direction, anger only just barely visible on my face. Only to meet his soft, yet confused gaze. Annoyance was what I expected, not an awkward smile.

_Arceus fucking dammit! Why are you so… so…_

_Perfect?_

I sighed at the thought. Because yes, he really was, and the more time I was given to think about it, the more I was beginning to think that I didn't mind the emotional turmoil. It was going well after all, up until the explosion, and until  _that_  guy recognised me. Now I was off balance; guards broken for the moment. True, I panicked, but I was right for doing so, time was against me once again; we had to leave  _immediately_.

Exactly why we hadn't the time to be dawdling about this; questions and answers could wait until then.

"All right then." I said to Wally, smiling despite myself. "We'll finish up packing, then we'll leave, and after all that's done, I tell you a few truths about all of this." I finished, smile giving way to a serious, dead-pan expression.

Obviously I couldn't explain the more explosive events of the day, but I could at least tell my travelling companion exactly  _who_  he had been travelling with this whole time. Because it certainly wasn't Ruby…

Wally merely nodded, slightly more serious about things now. I had to wonder what he thought about all this, it was a little hard to believe he wasn't intrigued by all of this. Wally managed to hold off his questions so far, but the why was niggling at me. In any case, enough time had been spent already, and amidst our discussion, I'd managed to finish my packing.

"Ok, let's get out of here Wally." I said flatly, sparing a single glance for the rest of the room and my companion in turn.

I'd miss our 'vacation' if I was being honest with myself. Sure, the league was my goal; I did have a point to prove to someone after all, but it was nice to just… relax and unwind with someone I actually cared about for once. Almost all of my vacations back when I did contests involved me being alone, or with my mother. Being with Wally was a nice change of pace, but that had to end now. Escaping was one thing, telling Wally was another, and in the middle of it all, I still had to train.

_We'll be busy for a while now._

_Or just me if Wally leaves…_

* * *

 

"Cynthia, you have to stop and think about this!"

_What on earth has gotten into this woman?!_

No response, just a snort, or what I thought was one, as she kept pulling ahead. Cynthia would meet the public forces soon, which would mean showing our ID's to them. Though we weren't allowed to do so for the sake of accommodation earlier in the week, at least now we could move mountains to reach our goal. Well, figurative public-service mountains at least..

However, what good would that do if Cynthia was on course to crash into, and  _through_ , them at this rate!

I'd said everything I could on the way here to get her to think; fortunately the part about the trap might not come to fruition if regular enforcement had gotten there before us, which I had assumed was the case. Yet it couldn't be ruled out, and there were other risks aside; frankly, I hadn't seen Cynthia this manically angry since the time Charon slipped past us both, hell, even before he got away she was pissed off to the extreme.

Still, even with that in mind, there was little common ground between these events. Cynthia of all people should be the level headed one out of both us, especially since it was more my place to be pissed off to the extreme. How could I waste time being angry however, if one of us already was? I was more worried about what Cynthia's rash actions were leading to than anything else an-

_She stopped?_

I looked up, breaking away from the thoughts, to find we'd actually reached a tangible checkpoint.

_So the local forces have responded properly then._

"Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to step back, this is no place fo-"

" **Let me through, right now!** " Cynthia shouted, pulling out her champion and Interpol ID's without missing a beat.

With little warning, she shoved both promptly toward the face of the officer standing in front of the makeshift blockade, made entirely out of police vehicles.

_Well that's one way to keep the public out…_

Not that Cynthia cared for it, or much of anything else, as she ran directly past the now flabbergasted officer who had mere seconds to recognise both ID's before she took them and zipped off like a rocket.

Deciding it would be best to keep up as best as possible, I also showed my ID to the officer, being courteous enough to give him time to read mine, unlike my companion for this mission.

" _Two champions…_ " He breathed to no one in particular.

I supposed that level of shock was warranted, it wasn't every day that an average member of any regions force would meet a champion, let alone on a mission from interpol. Two of them at once though? I couldn't really blame him for being surprised. That being said, I didn't have time to indulge in surprises, let alone the patience.

Nodding curtly, I took both my ID's and started running again; though I was beginning to tire after all the physical effort, I couldn't leave Cynthia on her own, not right now.

Though, with time now on my hands, I had to wonder how the local force was treating this. I knew our agents would be honing in on targets, they had orders to act on their own should something happen early or go wrong. That said little of the local's measure for this though, assumption suggested they were treating the museum explosion as it's own incident, and probably weren't aware of the shipyard issue.

Considering Aqua had no knowledge of the fact that we were here, that would probably mean most of their operatives would be stationed in a cautious manner. In fact, though the possibility existed, it was unlikely we'd meet any resistance until we got to the boatyard, at least with the current set up anyway.

_But if that's the case, why would the museum explode? They had fair chance to steal the sub without blowing it up, what did they gain from showing the world that they-_

_**Shit.** _

" **Cynthia, slow down, I** _ **need**_ **you to stop!** " I shouted, realizing that not everything was as it seemed.

We were almost directly in front of the rubble of the building I was just worrying about. Chunks of it littered the area; it had indeed suffered a massive explosion. That was just it however, that blast was the key, the telling point. This was no ordinary theft, and the lack of hard resistance even just this far past the blockade was a sign. A neon sign that cut through the darkness of doubt with force unmatched. To say warning bells had gone off was an understatement, this was definitely a ploy.

 _It's a trap_.

" **Cynthia!** " I shouted one last time at the top of my lungs.

This time she stopped, turned on heel with such force I thought her high heels might actually snap, and looked at me with a level of anger that was almost frightening.

_What happened to make you this… pissed off?_

" **What?!** " She shouted back at me, as I walked within talking distance, wincing slightly at her question.

" **Just hold on for one moment would you!** " I began, getting closer to her. "Think about this! We haven't encountered any resistance even this far in, and they blew up a fucking building! Why would they do that if all they needed was the sub?! This reeks of purpose Cynthia, you need to see that!" I finished, keeping my voice on the higher side of the volume scale despite being right next to her.

I hadn't shouted, but I did need to put my point across, this was incredibly important after all. Something which Cynthia slowly came to realise, despite her unbridled rage.

" _It's a planned trap_ …" She breathed.

I nodded; thank Arceus, she was beginning to see the light here at las-

" _ **Good.**_ " Cynthia said, forcefully deadpan.

_What?!_

"What the hell do you mean  _good?!_  There isn't anything 'good' about it! We are blind, and running headlong into potentially dangerous water here!" I told her; almost completely bewildered at this point.

Whatever 'good' she thought existed here was either some form of tastelessly cruel joke, or full on delusion. Given Cynthia's recent mood swing, I'd put money on it being both. Because really, what was there to gain in passing any metaphorical tripwires? Sure, we had to get to our destination fast, but we should at least think of a proper approach to it. Hell, if we waited for a small amount of time, some our agents would no doubt spot us and assist. Going into the hive with a full team, as opposed to just the two of us, sounded far more strategically sound than sprinting at Mach five, pokeballs in hand.

"That's exactly  _why_ it's good. If it's this quiet, then they are hiding somewhere close by…And I have a few…  _things_ … I need to discuss with any decently ranked Aqua member." Cynthia spoke up again, explaining in a heightened tone, but maintaining a small veneer of emotional control this time.

_At least she's somewhat fucking rational now, but that still doesn't answer the question!_

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Cynthia pull out a pokeball with a deadly grin on her face. I had to speak my mind about this, before she thought about pulling any more stunts. With a grin like that, it was guaranteed she'd do something rash before long.

"Discussion?! What? You think you can just waltz up to their operation leader and say 'hey, it's a lovely day, how are you finding it?' and expect a proper answer?!" I exclaimed with justified anger.

For her part, Cynthia barely even looked in my direction, instead she stared intently on the pokeball in her hand. As if she was mulling something over, something important.

I hadn't the faintest of clues what that might be, but right now, I didn't want to find out.

"Even if they were hiding around here, and even if we managed to find these hypothetical individuals, they are more likely to jump and attack us! Not sit around and have a fucking idle chit cha-"

Cynthia threw the ball, unceremoniously interrupting my speech on the stupidity of all this midway. After a brief white flash; a flash that was bright enough in the dark of night that I instinctively covered my eyes, her Pokemon emerged. Cynthia's favourite; her frontline, the first choice for everything.

_Ningendou._

" _Enough._  If they are out there, we find them. Neither you, nor I have the luxury of wasted time here, Steven. Especially not when I finally have a lead on him…  _ **Let's go.**_ " Cynthia said bluntly, turning on heel without even waiting for my reply.

"C-Cynthia! Wait!"

_Arceus fucking dammit, not_ _**again!** _

* * *

 

To hell with Steven's complaining. To hell with it all in fact.

Sure, maybe a week ago, the situation was solid. Cut and dry; little complications, with only the minor fuck up on Steven's part. Magma and Aqua were dangerous yes, perhaps even overgrown weeds at this point, but they were still manageable. Key emphasis being on  _were_. The game had since changed, so drastically in fact, that this was now more than just a regional threat.

If not for Looker's information, I wouldn't even have a clue how dire this situation was. There were hints of course, in the goals of both groups primarily, but I wouldn't have noticed on my own.

When looker contacted me again, after a month of no information, I was relieved at first. Originally, I came to this region on the guise of being on holiday, in order to chase a goal I thought was long gone. A goal Steven and I failed to reach; the information previous was small, and my chance at catching the true target next to none. Yet, it was intel none the less, and I came here to pursue it, alongside my normal studying of regional mythos. Partly because I was interested, but also partly because I knew  _he_  would be too.

Power always was his favourite toy. Of course, dangerous play things like that cost lives to attain, and then maintain. Similar tolls had been forced upon my own region, debts that still weighed on my conscience each day.

_But not on his._

It was enough to stir my rage again, threatening to light the fire in my chest ablaze with hatred and anger once more, laced with years worth of anguish and regret.

Pain.

That's what it was,  _pain_. Due to Looker, I became aware that the source of this was closer than I'd ever imagined it being. With the glimmer of possibility; the notion of capturing the demon that had so far eluded me edging closer, it was all I could do. My very soul thrashed out, yearning for vengeance;  _for closure_.

_**He has to be stopped, here and now.** _

**The moment I find him, I'll make sure he pays a hundred fold for** -

{Master, not to be rude, but your Aura is spiking heavily. I would recommend focus, especially right now}

For once, Nin's intrusions on my mental state were properly warranted. Though my goal was close, Nin, and unfortunately, Steven, were right. I'd never be able to put the past behind me if I allowed myself to lose composure now. Even if that meant biting down on my gut instinct to tear the whole countryside apart in rage.

"Point taken Nin. Have you located any stray aura's by the way?" I asked, hopeful for results.

{Actually, I have found several master. I'll relay their general locations for you.}

Ningendou was always a lifesaver. Hidden enemies weren't really hidden when their very life force shone like the lighthouse at the other end of this city.

"Cynthia, hold on dammit!" Came a shout from behind me.

_And just like that, I want tear this whole place up._

Steven meant well. In fact, despite his incompetence, he was doing everything professionally on this mission. To him, I likely appeared manic earlier. That said, it was his fault I lost my temper to begin with. Having been given the information on the whereabouts of my true prey, my mood throughout this whole affair was on a tumultuous high, and Steven decided now of all times was the best possible moment to discuss his grievances, and my past, with me. If anything, he brought all of the memories of them back.

_Lucas… Barry… Dawn._

_**No.** _

If I lost focus now, this mission would never be done, I shouldn't have to rely on Nin to keep level headed here. An attempt should at least be made for the sake clarity, if not for the sake of the mission.

_But that isn't going to stop me from shouting if I have to._

"Steven, we haven't the time to stand around and wait. I know what you're going to say, and well, its just not going to happen. By the time any help arrives, the catch will be gone." I stated flatly, only a hint of my remaining anger making it into the words.

I didn't bother to turn and look at him, I just kept walking forward as Nin telepathically relayed all the nearby aura locations to me.

"So you would have us run right into the maw of danger inst-"

"Holy shit" I interrupted him, realising what the information being sent to me meant. "Nin, are you sure this correct?!" I asked in slight panic.

If it was, we weren't just walking into the maw, we were upon it, staring straight into the abyss.

{Yes master… All the locations are correct, I believe they are cloaking with the assistance of dark types… They have yet to move on us though, it appears they are waiting for something.}

There was at least a dozen hidden across the vast open space. Four off to the woods on the left, four near the rocky cliff that guarded the city from the waves, and one big, lone aura staring directly at us and the fallen museum.

_That one's only 30 metres away!_

We were being watched.

"Steven!" I turned, whispering in hushed tones, but with urgency.

Only to realise that if I said anything, there was the potential that any one of those readings could hear us, should they have the proper Pokemon with them. No, we couldn't give away the game yet, not when there was an opportunity here…

_But I'd have to trust him…_

I'd already done that once before, and it cost me deeply; half the reason I was in this region was because of Steven's mistake. Grumbling about it wouldn't stop the ticking of the clock on this problem though, we either did something now, or nothing at all. So in the end, I didn't have the option of not trusting him.

"What?" He asked, probably expecting me to have another round of anger ready for him.

I sighed.

_Here we go again._

"Ningendou, give him the information." I said flatly.

{Master are you sure? From the inflection in your aura, I can tell you don't trust this human…}

"Just do it, Nin." I spoke, more forceful than the first time.

{As you wish Master.}

Steven just stared at me confused, fully expecting me to just tell him the problem. Well, I had every intention of doing that, but not directly. Not with all the ears laying in waiting, yearning for a reason to come out of hiding no doubt. Of course, Steven's surprise wouldn't, and didn't, last long. Ningendou would have relayed all the information much quicker than words possibly could.

It showed too, Steven went from confusion, to a brief blink of fear, straight to annoyance and faint anger.

"Shit…" He spoke up, breaking the silence.

I merely nodded at him; the situation was delicate, those in hiding could come out at any time, but we needed to get past them. Though I did have to wonder why they hadn't pounced on us already, perhaps there was a reason for staying their hand. Though that appeared to be the case, I couldn't actually think of a reason why they would stay back. To them, we looked like a couple of honeymooners, barely threatening, even with Lucario out of their ball.

This did however play to my advantage. There was a solution in all this that would work for me and Steven, even if I had to trust him with the second half. Steven was the champion of his region after all; he should be the one to capture the main fish, while I interrogated the little ones for information on a  _stray moon_.

"Good, now that you understand, I want you to keep going ahead." I said, pulling my second, and last Pokeball on me, out of the left pocket of my jeans.

When on undercover missions, it was routine not to bring as many pokemon with you, at least for champions. Pokemon were extensions of their trainers in battle, as well as singular identities, having the correct set of partners on you made you recognisable. If I had known how hectic this mission would get however, I definitely would have brought more.

_Not that I need them._

"Are you fucking insane?! did you even think about the information that-"

"Keep it shut idiot!" I whispered pointedly, accosting him for almost giving the game away.

"... Look." I began, noting his now clearly exasperated expression. "I'm going to provide support at the next… wedding, just go ahead and check up on… the guests." I said, hoping to draw attention away from his outburst.

We needed the element of surprise for this after all. Without it, this plan would be impossible.

Steven looked at me quizzically for a second, before the details sank in, taking his previous expression with it, and replacing it with something…  _Else?_

I was expecting another round of irritated bitching, as was his usual. But an almost devious smile? Was there something he knew that I didn't?

"You know, I'd ask what that look is for, and why you're so quiet, but I think that can wait, right darling?" I asked loudly, making sure that the invisible onlookers could hear.

_Why do I have to pretend to be this idiot's girlfriend? honestly, the cruelty of it all._

"Yeah…  _It can wait, dear._ " He answered, momentary devilish grin disappearing, replaced by steeled intention.

_Good_

The pokeball I'd kept minimised until now to prevent it's detection, I pulled it up into an arc and expanded it. The next manoeuvre would have to be swift; I'd definitely need  _Shuradou_ for this  _and_  transcendence. To handle this many opponents at once without backup required my most powerful Pokemon after all.

Normally I'd keep Shuradou in reserve; his strength was so impressive that we usually ended up tearing the environment apart while we battled. Choices were in short supply however, and this empty pavement on the way to the shipyard was the only thing we could do any damage to.

"On the flash, run straight ahead and don't stop." I told Steven seriously.

He nodded at me; the signal to start this shitfest.

_I'll find him, even if I have to catch every last Aqua operative here._

I thought to myself, throwing the Pokeball with force, toward the halfway point between me and the invisible Aura Nin had sensed. Not missing a beat, I clutched at the coloured stone embedded in my earring, it's unnaturally smooth surface texture pulsed as I willed all my anger and intent for victory into it. I'd get Shuradou to transcend before she even appeared proper. We'd execute this attack so fast, our opponent would know what hit them.

"Ningendou, relay the target information to Shuradou,  _ **now!**_ " I shouted at the top of my lungs.

{Already doing so, master!}

" **Rawwwwrrrrrraaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!** " Was Shuradou's cry, as she was assaulted with transcendent energies and Ningendou's thoughts at the same time.

It was rough, incredibly so, to prepare a Pokemon for battle before it had even properly materialised from a Pokeball, but if anyone was capable of handling this, it was Shuradou.

 _ **Thud**_.

The sound of bulky feet and claws hitting the pavement ahead of me; my Garchomp had entered the playing field proper, fully transcended no less and looking just as pissed off as I was.

Steven began running the moment the impact rang out, which meant the next move would have to be quick.

_No holding back._

"Shuradou! Strike down the closest enemy!" I yelled at the top of my voice, and with a fervor even Arceus could hear.

The response was swift, I couldn't even track the movement as a whole with my eyes.

Shuradou tensed for a mere second, before pushing her legs against the pavement with unrivaled force, cracking it in the process and sending her hurtling toward the target at breakneck speed.

I blinked only once, but it was already done before my eyelids lifted. A scream filled the air as Steven ran past our target; Shuradou had hit the mark. In the seconds that followed, a woman in blue appeared to materialise, as she ran towards the thing that Shuradou had hit.

_A Mightyena?_

That would explain the cloaking; so they use dark types for stealth missions huh? Clever,  _but not clever enough._  No doubt the sound of impact from that attack was loud enough to draw the attention of the surrounding operatives of Aqua in the area. Of course, if I did end up fighting them all, I'd have to transcend Ningendou as well, there was just that many of them.

For now though, a young woman, and a heavily wounded Mightyena were more than manageable. Especially if her Pokemon couldn't even take a full body attack; Shuradou hadn't even used her claws, that Mightyena was lucky to be alive at this rate. Pokemon casualties left distaste in my mouth, but this woman, and her team, would bring me one step closer to the waning moon I was searching for.

" **Who the** _ **fuck**_ **are you?! How did you even know I was there?! No, scratch that, look at what you did to Mizu!** " The Woman in blue shouted at me, clutching at her injured Pokemon in anger and fear.

I didn't bother to answer, save for ordering another attack.

"Shuradou, another take down if you will." I said casually, malicious rage intertwining my otherwise determined expression.

She panicked as Garchomp tensed again, she knew what was coming.

" _ **Kouri**_ **! Come out and help us!** " She shouted in panic, throwing a pokeball from her belt with lightening speed.

The flash of white came just as Shuradou launch herself again, the sound of her breaking the ground under heel hidden under the next shout of my supposed opponent.

" _ **KOURI, USE PROTECT!**_ "

 _ **BAMN**_.

Garchomp was sent backwards a few metres, the repelling of her momentum enough to fling her away after impact with the immovable barrier. Our assault had been abated, but only for the moment.

Apparently 'Kouri' was a Walrein, and an angry looking one at that.

_Not that it matters; I'll wipe your entire organization away if that's what it takes._

The glowing protection barrier gave off an immense amount of light, cutting a swath through the darkness of the now early night. Like a beacon, it shone; if the sounds of our battle hadn't alerted her team members, the light show certainly did.

But I would wait patiently for the barrier to dissipate, protects rarely lasted longer than 2 minutes, so it wouldn't take long. Then I'd take out her Walrein too, and get Garchomp to hold her down. She would be defeated well before any help could arrive to save her from defeat, or capture. Like moths to the flame, they'd all be draw here, to me, and I would take my sweet time arresting, and questioning each of them. As an additional plus, if they all came here to assist her, they wouldn't be able to stop Steven.

If Steven could capture the head of this operation, I might even get enough information to close the case from years ago...

" **I'm only going to ask this once more, so you better fucking answer me you bitch! Who the** _ **fuck**_ **are you, and what makes you think you can just hurt Mizu like that without me plastering your face across the fucking pavement?** " The woman asked me loudly and in rage, breaking up my thoughts.

Funny, she seemed like the type of person to have composure and poise, given the way she was dressed for the job at least. Apparently it doesn't take much to crack the facade; still, perhaps if I indulged her and answered, she'd grasp the situation and give up anyway.

That would make things easier, even if the chance was slim.

"Me?" I scoffed, hatred worming its way to the surface, bleeding into my smile.

" _I_ … Am Cynthia Shirona, the black Contessa of Interpol, and the reigning champion of Sinnoh in it's entirety…" I stated calmly, but with poisonous intent, lacing each word with the malice residing in the pit of my chest.

Malice and anger that had spent years fermenting, in absence of its redemption.

{M-Master, you're a-aura is…}

Ningendou intoned in my mind. I supposed it was to be expected, I could only begin to imagine how bright, yet how starkly, my Aura was burning right now. As the silent storm of rage tossed and turned, unbeknownst to all but me and Nin, my opponent's face dropped upon fully processing what I had said.

_Now she knows._

"Y-Y-You c-can't possibly be… b-be…  _the_  Cynthia Shirona?!  **There's no fucking way! That's just a bold faced lie you hag!** " The woman spat at me as the protect field went down.

I only grinned from ear to ear, knowing full well that I wasn't going to be capable of holding back like I had with the magma admin. And why should I? When I knew what Aqua had been hiding from me; from the world this whole time.

"Oh, it's no bluff." I began, putting one foot forward, and getting ready to issue the next command.

Garchomp was shivering with anticipation, I could see it from here; we would both let loose with this it seemed.

" _And you… You are going to tell me_ _ **exactly**_ _where you've been hiding_ _ **Charon**_ _._ " I said with an almost deadly cold tone.

"W-Who?!" Answered the perplexed, but still enraged woman as she held onto her bleeding Mightyena.

" _ **Wrong answer.**_ "

* * *

 

"Do we really have to go?" Wally asked me innocently, looking back at the chaotic city behind us.

The slightly forlorn expression on his face stabbed at me, reminding me of everything I hated about my decisions.

"Yes, we can't stay, and I'll tell you why. But not right now, let's find a spot to camp for the night first ok?" I proposed tentatively, not really expecting Wally to be so… so… patient, and well, understanding.

"All right, but is it really necessary to camp this far off the path?" Wally asked, more inquisitive with this question than the last.

_Yes, because I don't want to get caught by law enforcement, fans, or heaven forbid, my mother._

"Yeah, I'm just trying to avoid the outflux of people as they flee the city. It'd be too loud to stay closer to the path, we'd probably woken up through the night." I told Wally half-heartedly.

_Because lying really is the only thing I'm good for apparently._

"I guess so…" Wally replied, pushing past the branch in front of us.

We were looking for a small clearing away from the path, after all, staying near meant risking capture, or at the very least, recognition. Normally I wouldn't be so worried, but the fact that the loud asshole in Slateport recognised me was enough to put me on edge.

How was a very good question, since I was in fact, barely recognisable. I had contacts in, I wore my white cap, I barely even looked like I used to; not even my own mother should be able to recognise at first glance like this…

But that guy did, and now look where I ended up for it. Caught between a metaphorical rock type and a stone edge, with barely anything to show for it being so close to revealing the truth too! Wally would have finally heard what he deserved to hear ages ago, and learn of the person who I really was. Which, in all honesty, was a prerequisite for the development of any relationship that could possible occur. How could someone love a person who had to lie about their very identity to the other's face? Given current information, I had reason to suspect Wally liked me just as much as I did him, and though the bizarre nature of that coincidence was certainly striking, the more important concept at hand was the part where I came clean.

Someone as pure as Wally deserved to have the choice, to understand what it meant to like someone like me, and what I had done wrong behind a false name and with his unwitting assistance. Thought I hoped for the best, I knew that it was a heavy subject, and that he had every right to kick my ass to the curb for it. Truthfully, even that would be more welcome than keeping him in the dark, and playing at love under a false guise.

All of it just fel-

"Hey, Ruby, look!" My companion exclaimed just ahead of me, pointing past a pair of bushes he had parted.

Wally was pointing to a clearing in the trees, a small spot without a canopy to cloud the sky, nor the roots to split the ground. A perfect spot to camp out for the night.

_A perfect spot for judgement._

"Ahhh, that's… excellent… I guess…" I stated hesitantly, knowing that I would soon have to lay my lies bare for Wally to see.

_But he deserves it; don't you dare cower out of this too Brendan!_

True, of all people, Wally did deserve it, who would I be if I denied even that?

It would be unforgivable after all.

"Are you ok Ruby? Still spooked about what happened earlier?" Wally questioned softly.

For someone so unaware, Wally was painfully perceptive, he knew something was up and was being patient with things anyway.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, I just… Let's set up camp, once that's done, we need to talk about things…" I said finally after a small moment of silence.

"Ok. I'll pull out the sleeping bags then." Wally answered calmly, smiling at me all the while.

_Arceus give me strength to tell him the truth._

"Fair enough… I'll u-uhhh, go grab the wood and stones for the fire I guess." I told him, assigning myself the job that would grant a brief reprieve before I had to return to the reality of the situation.

Wally just nodded at me, smile fading as he he pulled our sleeping bags off the back of our gabs and out of their sacks. I took it as my signal to leave and find the materials needed for a decently safe fire, and walked off back into the treeline, each step resonating with the anxiety in my head.

It was slow, but the pulse of nervousness as it traced through my bloodstream was beginning to get to me. Of course, the only way to shake it, was to bare it until the moment of revelation. A moment which I both dreaded, but anticipated.

Whatever the outcome, I would soon be free of this anxious guilt, and hopefully, with Wally by my side still.

_I can dream at least._

* * *

 

Ruby was acting strangely. Far more strangely than normal. At least this time, I had some clue as to why. He was always secretive; an enigma so foggy I had little clue as to what his background was. Yet his passion, and his blunt, yet charming personality caught me entirely, like a deer in the headlights. Over the course of our journey so far, I'd had so much fun, and all because he stuck with me, even going so far as to save from the fate of returning home.

_Even when he had every want, and need, to leave with my parents._

I owed him plenty, a lot more than I could put into words really. Yet, it wasn't debt that kept me here, no, I just liked Ruby as a person regardless. Perhaps like was too weak of a word actually, I'd know for a while that this feeling was slightly more intense than what friendship should be like, but I hadn't a proper name for it. Or at least, I just wasn't thinking enough, because the name was in fact, already in my vocabulary.

_Love._

It would explain the nervousness, the search for Ruby's approval, and the way I acted around him. Equally as strange as that notion, was the idea that this didn't bother me. If anything it seemed like the natural progression of things.

"Feelings are funny things I guess…" I whispered to myself quietly as I set up my sleeping bag.

Ruby had walked off into the trees, so there was no danger of him hearing me, at least for now.

I sighed, almost wistfully so, as I pulled out the second sleeping bag for Ruby from the confines of it's sack. As I rolled it out, I considered all the feelings I'd had up to now, and the reasons why I happened to be so enamoured with Ruby. In the end though, it came down to plain admiration. I admired Ruby for his determination, his ambition, and his tenacity. As both a trainer, and a person. Though our time together so far had been short, it had been nothing short of fun.

 _And I want it to keep being fun_.

But something was brewing; Ruby was spooked by that man who called him a different name, and in hindsight, it almost seemed to purposeful for it to be coincidence. Whatever it was Ruby wasn't telling me, it had to do with someone called 'Brendan' and I burned to know what. Knowing Ruby, it was probably a twin or something, but then I couldn't really tell.

Not that I had to guess, because Ruby was going to tell me anyways it seemed. Truthfully, I was excited just a little, even if I was also apprehensive. It was sudden, out of the blue, but now the whole event promised new information, and my curiosity burned to hear the answers.

I just hoped Ruby was holding up; whatever it was he wanted to tell me, it didn't seem like a pleasant thing for him. Maybe this hypothetical twin caused him grief or someth-

"I'm back."

Came a statement that carried with it dead air, almost chilling the night itself as it flew through the trees. I turned to find Ruby standing at the clearing, rocks and wood in hand, ready for the fire.

"A-Ah, want me to h-help set up the fire?" I asked, smiling nervously.

Yet Ruby didn't return my grin, if anything, his expression appeared to drop further. Something was weighing on him, and it likely had a lot to do with the things he planned to tell me.

"That… Would be great, thanks." Ruby spoke again, his voice distant.

Now I was just beginning to worry; questions formed in my head as Ruby walked over, handing me some of the stones in order to make a ring for the fire. Methodically, I placed each stone as perfectly as I could, while I thought of a way to cheer Ruby up. But nothing really came to mind, at least not immediately.

"The stars are nice tonight aren't they?" I asked idly, hoping to bring his attention to the beauty of the night.

"I suppose so…" He sighed, ripping away at the grass inside the base of the fire, and placing the slightly large collection of branches upon the now bare earth inside the stone circle.

He hadn't even looked at the sky like I did.

"I wonder if the city is ok… Why do you think the museum exploded like that?" I queried, hoping that this question would at least stir his mood some.

Instead, his face just scrunched up in irritation.

"I don't actually know, but whatever the reason, it was  _highly_  inconvenient…" Ruby stated with distaste.

I knew he was deliberately avoiding the topic; avoiding what he wanted to tell me. It was obvious though, he wanted to talk about it, I could see it written across his face as he pulled out some matches from his pack to light the fire with. I wanted to give Ruby the time to say it himself, whatever 'it' was, and part of me hoped with all my might that perhaps his nervousness was because he… well…

 _I'm not oblivious_.

With the way Ruby was acting, and everything he said after I hugged him last night, I had figured out he felt at least somewhat how I did. Still, hearing that coming straight from him would be better, even if it was preceded by possible bad news, like the fact that he somehow had an evil twin.

Or something to that effect at least.

Exactly why I'd been patient; Ruby needed time, and I didn't want to take that away from him, even if I wanted to hear what was to be said. My curiosity was killing me at this point, but I would stay silent regardless. Allowing the quiet to pull over the air like a blanket, I sat down on my sleeping bag, watching as Ruby lit the fire up quietly. The only sound to escape into the open, being that of the match, and the soon-to-be crackle of a low fire.

As the flames plumed higher by the second, reaching their zenith with each passing minute, I marvelled at the way the light cast against the scenery around me, and indeed, me and Ruby ourselves. Contrasted to the pale blue of both the moon and stars above, the golden-yellow light of the fire cast shadows within shadows. It brought warmth, not only in the physical sense, but in the emotional sense. The soft glow had a calming effect, and it seemed Ruby was benefitting from this as well.

Unlike me though, Ruby looked only at the fire, ignoring the wonderful sight around us in favour of the consuming flame itself.

_Something is wrong._

"I-I know that… that I've asked this already and a-all… But are you sure you're ok Ruby? You've been really, e-er, quiet, y'know?" I asked timidly, hoping I hadn't disturbed the peace too much.

Ruby's expression only dropped further, and indeed, at this point he looked more nervous than he did sad, or annoyed. Which really only served to heighten my anxiety over how he felt if anything. Not that Ruby let me stew on that feeling for long; he spoke up pretty quick this time.

"... No, I'm not fine actually." Was the answer, and it caused yet another pang of anxiety.

_So something is wrong._

"You really shouldn't worry about though, I'm not worth worrying about in all honesty." He spoke again, expression falling  _even further_.

As the light played and danced across his face, a tiny, yet perceptible sense of dread found it's way into my heart. Whatever Ruby was about to tell me, it was something he really wasn't looking forward to saying. That said, it didn't explain that statement at all.

"What? Why would I not Ruby? Of course you're worth the worry, you're a good friend of mine an-"

"That isn't me." He said deadpan, finally meeting my gaze.

"W-What do you mean?" I spoke again, perplexed as to how what he said made any sense at all.

"Well, I guess in a way it is me…" Ruby began, sitting down across from me. "It's true, I am a friend, and well… It sounds off, but I actually… I want to be more than friends with you…" Ruby said again, sadness pervading his otherwise willful expression.

Another spike of anxiety, but this time of the happy kind.

_He really did feel the same!_

"...  _But._ " Ruby intoned, face scrunching in anger.

Like a rollercoaster, the mood lifted, only to be cut down in nanoseconds. I sat on the edge of my proverbial seat, hoping that this 'but' was something I could argue, that I could challenge it and show Ruby how happy I was regardless.

"If that were to happen, then you need to know."

_So I don't have to argue?_

"W-What? What do I need to know, Ruby?" I asked somewhat hesitantly, intrigued by this information, but also slightly intimidated.

There was a long pause, and it looked like Ruby was gathering the will to speak, staring even more intently at the fire, before returning his gaze back to me.

"Well first, you need to know that I'm not Ruby… My true name…" Ruby trailed off, gaze faltering just a tiny bit as he took in the situation proper.

_Huh? True name? Did he mean tha-_

"Is Brendan Yuuki."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there peeps, I hope you had fun with this chapter. It got quite... action packed really fast. But since the end notes are back, I get right into my one person discussion about things!
> 
> Cynthia... Oh boy. Now you guys know what I was saving in the back. Cynthia came to this region for more reasons than her supposed holiday, and now the real reason has become properly relevant. For anyone wondering, CG is actually it's own timeline within the Pokemon universe, and I've had a plot for Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova prepared for some time regarding it. The event's that cause Cynthia's unrest, and indeed, lead up to what happens in CG (believe me, they lead up to a lot) are all based on the storyline I concocted for sinnoh.
> 
> Perhaps, once CG is finished, I might even tell it, but for now, it gives a nice background to how Cynthia really is. You see, she hasn't just gotten really angry and 'feely' out of the blue, in actuality, looker came back with information, and it would seem the the lead he has points to Aqua as being the people sheltering a certain scientist. Should this be true, it definitely leaves open a lot, like Charon's motive in all of this, and what Aqua would gain from it, but it is a very important plot point.
> 
> Steven is also important in this, because originally, this was supposed to be his turn to be the badass, but it would seem both champions have personal bones to pick with aqua, and by extension, magma.
> 
> On the topic of our main pair however...
> 
> Oh man, Brendan has finally spilled the beans. They've both come to realise how they feel for each other, but now he's confessing. Under pale moonlight, and by a fire no less. What will Wally do? How will Wally feel? All important questions for the future, especially since they are our protagonists (though at this point, we could also say that Cynthia/Steven are secondary protagonists).
> 
> Oh, and not that I'm gonna spoil anything, but this whole Slateport event is naturally going to be reported in Hoenn's news network, which might seem unimportant, but not so, for the right people anyway.
> 
> In short, this chapter drops a hell of a lot of plot, and it was wild ride writing it honestly. Though I mostly still frazzled with stress right now, I can tell you that I'm kind of excited for 'season 2'. So excited in fact, we may get to meet another crowd favourite, to round off our cast of course. Who could it be? Well, I'll have to leave that till next time.
> 
> Of course, before I go, I'd like to give a big shoutout to Vocaloid-Bunni for all their support. Seriously, you are awesome.
> 
> Anywho, it's time for me to flee for a little bit, I'll be catching some rest in order to prepare for christmas proper, and then I'll be right back at it. Until then, have fun, and stay safe readers!
> 
> *EDIT: Ok, apparently, my original document was missing the end note section on wally somehow? Either way, here it is:
> 
>  
> 
> In Wally's case, he's different. He's innocent, naive. Sure, emotionally, he is far ahead of his age, but when it comes to understanding the true severity, or implications of something, it may or may not be lost on him. He does have a tendancy to be idealistic, and see the good in everything, as opposed to Brendan's more realistic attitude.
> 
> Which is exactly why the season Finale ends with them having the 'talk' they so desperately needed to have. Since it signals the end of the slateport arc for our heros, and heralds the beginning of the next, in which Wally learns that not everything is as it seems, and even the shiniest, most well cut gems, have imperfections in them more often than not. It'll result in a fair amount of tension no matter how he reacts to it, so this sets up nicely for another character arc in his case.
> 
> Personally, I feel bad for having to put him through this, and for Brendan having to lie about it, but in the end, this development is for the good of both of them.


	31. Imperfect gemstones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back, and on time as it happens! The official release date for this chapter was the 8th or 9th, as per my announcement on twitter, and now it's finally here. I can't tell you how happy I am that Christmas, and the 'holidays' are over. I've had enough time to recuperate now, and thankfully, I'm almost completely out of the woods with regards to work intensity. Which means that we are going to go right back to my previous two week schedule! Of course, I may have another 'season finale' at the end of this year too, but I'm undecided on it at the moment.
> 
> For now though, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and a new years celebration to boot. I'm happy to bring CG into the new year with a chapter that is quite literally all about our protags. Yes, after the cliff hanger that was chapter 30, I felt it would be prudent to take away the focus from Cynthia and Steven for our first chapter, and instead cover a lot of character building ground with Wally, Brendan and Forsythe (yes, you will see forsythe this chapter!)
> 
> Anywho, it's the same as always, the end notes will have all my rambling, and I'll let you get right to it; Have fun readers!
> 
> (Disclaimer: this chapter is a big bowl of honey nut feelio's and is dialogue heavy, so I recommend mental preparation before hand)

"Brendan… Yuuki?"

The question hung in the air; innocent yes, but to me, it carried the weight of the world, and all my sins with it. It seemed dramatic thinking of it like that, but in the end, Wally was the only person left that I felt any sense of duty towards. To have lied this long, to only be telling him this now…

"I don't know who… W-Wait, that's the name that… that guy used!" Wally clicked, making the connection.

"Yeah, it is. It's also my real name…." I said, restating what was already put forward.

I did so more for my sake than Wally's. The reveal of my identity had every hair on my body on end; anxiety operating at above maximum. Saying it again though, it solidified the situation, brought me back to earth. Reminding me of what I had done.

I could see the gears turning in Wally's head; he was confused, which was a good sign. He hadn't yet realised the full implications of what I had just told him. In fact, he was probably still trying to figure out who I was, rather than the problem with me not being Ruby to begin with.

"S-So w-wait… Why? Why did you run from him?"

Wally asked me, in a tone so innocent that it clashed with my anxiety; I wanted to disappear, to be anywhere but here. Yet, that would just be me running away again, and unlike my mother, Wally deserved better than that. I had to answer for this, even if it meant Wally hating me in the end.

That said, I had hoped Wally would gain some understanding of who I was just from the name. I knew Wally was sheltered, but I had no idea that he wasn't aware of who my true self was. On some level it seemed vain to assume everyone would know who I was, but there was truth to that idea; if a majority share of the Hoenn region watches performances on tv, it was a fair bet that I would be recognised by almost everyone.

_Everyone except for Wally._

I sighed; this wasn't going to be easy apparently.

"I… You don't know who I really am, do you Wally?" I asked, dropping to an almost whisper in volume; my will for going through with this flickering in and out of existence repeatedly.

"Who you are? S-Should… Should I know? I-I mean… the name 'Brendan Yuuki' is vaguely familiar, but… I don't know who that is" Wally answered, confusion deepening.

I sighed again.

_Nope, it's not going to be easy at all._

"Do you remember that flier you showed me, the one the clerk at the contest theatre gave you?" I asked him, knowing this would be the easiest way to show him.

"You mean the one with the performance schedule and the idol profiles? Yeah, but what does that have to do wi-"

"Please grab it out, it'll make this easier." I said defeated, resigning myself to completing this revelation.

Wally gave a quizzical look, but grabbed it out of the pocket of his purple cardigan. He clearly wasn't convinced this was on topic, but he was wrong in this case.

"Ok, but how is a schedule supposed to tell me who 'Brendan Yuuki' is?" Wally questioned, holding the fold-out flier in his hand.

He read over the schedule with quick glances at each part, searching for what I meant. Unfortunately, what he was looking for was on the back of the flier, with the idol profiles.

"Turn it over. Read the profile about Lisia's co-performer for the next contest, you'll see what I mean." I said, not looking in Wally's direction.

Instead, I took in my surroundings, waiting for the inevitable. It was funny; if it weren't for this damned confession, the scenery around me might be considered romantic. Pale moonlight, peaceful night breeze… It was perfect, for everything but this.

"Lets see…" Wally began, still lost as to what he was looking for, but trusting enough to read what I told him to. "Lisia's co-performer… A lively girl who wears a dress that puts even legendary Pokemon to shame, but don't let her looks fool you, her performing style is front and centre with the coolest moves around..."

Wally read the pamphlet aloud, but I knew he'd hit the part I was looking for soon enough.

"If Lisia's performance dazzled you, be sure to catch the next one the day after in Mauville, where she'll be co-performing with the second member of the big three, the ever lovely May Haruka Y-"

Wally froze.

_He's seen it._

" _M-May… Haruka… Y-Yuuki…_ _The sister of our currently missing third member_ _ **Brendan Yuuki**_ " Wally said, realization hitting him fast enough that I almost thought he'd gotten whiplash from it.

"T-Then you're…" Wally began, near speechless.

"Yes, exactly like I said. I'm Brendan Yuuki, the missing idol." I stated, my voice somehow maintaining composure despite my emotional unrest. "Do you believe me now?" I asked, knowing full well there was no arguing with it now.

"Brendan Yuuki… I can't- I d-don't…" Wally said, almost like he was embarrassed.

For a moment, I thought he was actually somewhat happy to hear this, much to my confusion. A small grin had wormed its way in; but it, just like my hopes, were completely dashed when the full implications of my deceit dawned about Wally. I watched it all, as his expression went from subtle happiness, and plummeted to rock bottom.

"B-But that… That means… The t-trainer's li-licence! I- _We_ _committed fraud!_ " Wally said, finally picking up on what this was all heading towards.

It hurt a lot more to hear him say it, than it did for me to think about it. There was betrayal in his voice, though it was the first of many things he would no doubt have to say, the intonation of it cut through me like a knife. I deserved it really, I did mislead him, and it was entirely selfish to expect any sort of mercy, but a part of me hoped beyond hope for a small shred of forgiveness.

Wally had shown positive signs when I said I had interest in being more than friends, which all but confirmed that he would have agreed, had I not completely screwed everything up with my lies. No reasonable person would expect anything after that, not at all. Yet… _Yet…_

_Please forgive me._

"I-I'm s-sorry." I said shakily, voice finally breaking under the weight of my emotions. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"You lied to me!... _And I_ … _I believed you..._ "

Wally paused, body tensing, hands clenching into fists in reaction. He was showing signs of anger, something he rarely showed while I travelled with him, and never as severe as this.

"Wally…" I said on reflex, as if I had any real hope of having a proper answer for the trouble I'd caused, or the right to ask that he calm down; something I didn't have, nor did I deserve.

Wally only shouted back.

"You tricked me into breaking the law! _Why?!_ What did I do deserve that?!" Wally began, getting up from where he sat with a rush.

He looked down at me and in his eyes I saw my reflection. Brendan the liar, not Ruby the friend was what I saw. Even with the faint lighting I could make out the expression on my own face.

It was fear.

"You didn't do anything to deserve it!" I answered, knowing full well I had to accept what I had done. "I did it because!..."

_Because?_

"... I needed to prove to everyone that I'm more than just… Just a show piece for their amusement! I needed to conquer the league to prove my skill was for more than just a flashy show!" I answered, my own anger flaring up.

But Wally stood his ground, and I realised I was in error. I didn't even have the right to explain myself with this, and yet I'd lashed out as if I was the victim. Classic me; acting like an asshole and then feeling self pity for it.

Calming myself, I met Wally's hurt, yet angry gaze and began to speak again.

"I needed that license Wally; I regret doing it now and I wish I could take it back, I really do bu-"

_Only to be interrupted, like I deserved to be._

"Y-You 'needed' it?! Why didn't you just get one normally! W-Why did you h-have to trick me!" Wally shouted again, looking down at me with shock in his eyes.

Shock and _betrayal_.

I stood up, mostly to meet Wally at eye level, before I answered that question. A question that, although perfectly fair and justified, was far too naive.

"'Get one normally'?! Would your family have let you 'get one normally' if it weren't for your grandfather?" I asked, trying my best to keep my voice level.

Almost immediately I regretted bringing that up. Wally didn't know the context behind why it wasn't as simple as me 'just getting one normally', so then asking him that was almost unfair. That said, it was the quickest way to get the point across, even if it was harsh. Because it was true; if not for someone else's help, Wally's parents would have kept him away from Pokemon all together, never mind the league.

"I-I…" Was Wally's answer.

Or half of one, the other half was the telling silence. A silence so deafening that it made me shrink with anxiety as it lingered for the moment.

Wally hung his head a little, darting his gaze away from mine. Though I couldn't see his face, his mouth was curled halfway between a frown and a scowl. I could only assume that my point had stuck, that he realised things were not always as simple as just doing things 'normally'. That there was indeed a good reason for my lies.

At least at the time they seemed good anyway. Now though, I'd even consider handing myself over to my mother, if it at least meant taking back how I'd hurt Wally, how I'd roped him into doing something wrong.

"Wally I'm… I'm sorry."

I apologised again, but then to Wally, they must have seemed like empty words. Devoid of value or meaning; after all, they were coming from the mouth of a liar. Yet, I meant it, I was truly sorry for what I had done.

_Not that it absolved me of what I did._

"...I n-need to go for a walk." Wally spoke up, keeping his gaze to the ground as he turned his back to me.

"W-what?" I started, bewildered to hear him suggest doing that after everything that was just said.

I expected vitriol; justified verbal strikes at my integrity as a person. Not silence, and… a walk? What did that even mean?

" _Alone…_ " Wally continued. "I'll be back, but I h-have to go." My travelling companion stated coldly, if somewhat shakily; not even waiting to hear what I had to say.

"Wally! W-Wait!-" I yelled after him, recovering from my momentary confusion.

I began to walk behind him, but Wally heard my footsteps and stopped in his tracks.

"I said, _I want to be_ _ **alone**_ _for a while_." Wally spoke, standing rigid, just before the tree-line of our clearing. "Now leave me be."

Wally was trying to sound distant, and definitely mad, but I could hear the faintest hints of his voice wavering. Add to the fact that I could visibly see his hands shaking, and I surmised that there was more to this outburst than anger. Whatever the case, it hurt. I already felt horrible for what I'd done, but the fact that the person who, until now, was more than eager to be at my side at every step, was now telling me to leave him alone for a while? Well, it stung. Sure, my pride in myself was non-existent at the moment, but now, not even Wally wanted to speak to me.

It made me feel lonely; almost worthless.

But I complied anyway.

"O-Ok, I-I'll err...W-Wait up, I guess?" I said, fumbling in my thoughts for a proper answer.

For his part, Wally didn't even acknowledge what I said, he just started walking again, disappearing among the trees and leaving me by myself. Alone to stew in my own thoughts. This time agonising over past mistakes, rather than new feelings.

Funny though; after all of this, I didn't think my feelings for him had dulled any either. If anything, they made me want to make up for the deceit. Arceus only knows how I could do that though. It was done already, there was no taking it back.

And now? Now I had some lovely time by myself to mull on the fact that my actions had consequences.

* * *

 

My breathing was unsteady. Head and heart still reeling.

Tonight was an emotional roller coaster; I'd gone from the highest zenith of happiness to doubt, anger, and ultimately betrayal. I still couldn't believe everything I'd heard tonight. The chaos of Slateport was nothing more than a light drizzle when compared to my current emotional state.

The reason being, that both the cause and the problem itself were on in the same.

Ruby wasn't Ruby. I'd committed a crime, a crime someone I thought highly had convinced me to carry out without my knowledge. It hurt. _A lot._

I trusted Ruby far too much; part of that because of… well, my unexplainable interest in him as a person, and partly because he seemed understanding. Ruby was brash, outspoken and incredibly determined. Ruby wasn't supposed to be a liar and a criminal, never mind a famous one.

_But he is._

I was wrong about him; what was I even thinking actually?

Was I really wearing the rose coloured lens for that long? If the Ruby I knew was a fake one, I should have been able to tell. Then again, he was a famous performer, good enough to pull the wool over my eyes. Not that I could use that as an excuse for being deceived.

A fact that stung at me as I stopped walking, just a little more than five minutes from our makeshift camp, allowing myself to slowly sink against a tree to my right, not daring to lift my gaze any higher than the ground.

_I could leave._

A rogue thought; There was no way I could just up and go. All of my travelling supplies were with my bag, and in my emotional daze I'd forgotten such a thing existed. Eventually, I'd have to make my way to camp again, to grab my stuff. But then what? Wander alone? Without any money, any real sense of direction?

Ruby- _No._ _ **Brendan**_ , he provided both of those before. As sad as it sounded, I'd be stranded if I left him.

Nevermind the fact that, for some Arceus forsaken reason, there was some lingering attachment to the idea of staying with him.

The ridiculous circumstances of this whole situation was just too much; too much to think about, too many problems with leaving, too many with staying. I felt paralysed; trapped. Only now, I had more time to think about it, without the immediate situation of actually dealing with the liar in question.

Almost like vultures plucking at their withering prey; all the good memories became tarnished all at once by the negative thoughts swirling about my head. All the reasons I had for idolising Brendan were seen through a new, less foggy lens. Me, and my heart, we'd been played for the fool.

And my reward? A possible criminal record, and a mind racked with anger, disbelief and a pervading sadness. I'd been happy, truly happy adventuring and travelling with Brendan. It was like a fantasy made real; a journey I desperately needed.

But I wasn't sure it was something I wanted anymore.

"W-Why?..." I asked no one in particular, tears forming in my eyes as I reviewed the nights events in my head.

To what end I wasn't sure, so I just let the tears drop. No amount of mentally replaying things would change the reality of the situation, or answer that question. This entire time I'd been helping a fugitive; someone without the common decency to at least keep other people out of their law breaking.

Instinctually, and mostly for what little comfort I could get, I huddled my knees in between my arms, almost curling up beneath the tree I had chosen to use as a support. Keeping upright by using the support the tree provided.

I began to cry softly, despite any feeble attempt I made at keeping calm, and pulled a Pokeball out of my pocket.

_What good would it do asking him for help?_

Echoed the question in my head; after all, would calling Forsythe out right now change anything either? Or was I just brining him out to use him for emotional stability? Putting it that way, I felt bad for even considering it, but with literal tears rolling down my cheeks, would he blame me for asking for help?

" _Damn it_." I spoke aloud, giving in to my impulse and throwing the ball forward; barely more than a metre or two from me.

A flash of light broke the dark of the night violently, but I'd already prepared for it, shielding my eyes pre-emptively before the ball had even hit the floor. Wiping those same eyes, which were likely red by now, before finally turning my gaze upward to meet Forsythe's.

[Wally! Why are you crying?! What happened?!] Came the inevitable question.

However, proper sentences were eluding me now; explaining verbally required too much effort of me. I'd probably get more upset just talking about it, so I instead opted for the hassle free approach.

{Just read my memories} I intoned mentally, opening the psychic link between me and Forsythe completely, most on reflex.

For a minute or two I held back the tears, clearing the muck of my thoughts so Forsythe could read them quicker, but my composure just couldn't last long enough to keep it that way. Eventually, the tears started crawling down my cheeks again, even if they were slow going. With them, the deluge of thoughts sprung out from their confines; more than likely confusing Forsythe some.

He never could handle rapid changes in thought patterns terribly well.

Still, it didn't take long before I heard his voice in my head again.

[I see]

_I see?!_

{What the hell does that mean?!} I shouted mentally across the link.

No recognition? No feeling? Not even a shred of sympathy?! What was there to even see?!

Forsythe easily would have heard all those questions, and indeed, my Pokemon gave the approximation of a sigh.

[I knew this would happen] My Pokemon answered in a flat tone.

{Oh really?! If you know so much, why couldn't you just tell me then?! How the hell could you even know anything about it?! The only mind you can 'read' is mine! Or do you share a link with Ru- _Brendan_ as well?!}

I was being irrational now, but I also felt a proper, describable emotion that wasn't sadness. Latching onto the anger; using it as an anchor, was far better than crying without purpose.

Forsythe just scoffed.

[A link? With him? He couldn't form links with sections of his own mind, never mind one as complex as mine. Besides, I don't need a link to see that he was up to something. Even his emotional emanations was enough to tell me something was up. A person that anxious and on edge all the time has to be up to something ridiculous] Forsythe answered, trying to provide the calm for both of us.

Normally I'd shut him down for mocking Brendan. This time it however helped to calm me down a little.

_Not that it answered the question._

{So why then? Why not tell me about this? A little warning would ha-}

[For several reasons] Forsythe interrupted, not missing a beat.

[Firstly, you took quite a shine to him. I'm pretty sure him confessing to being a runaway, and fraud was about the only thing that could show you he isn't as perfect as you believed him to be]

{I never believed he was perfect! I ju-}

[Secondly,he had a dramatically positive effect on your own emotional state whenever I was around to… observe. In fact, it was so impressively beneficial that sometimes I couldn't even see past the fog of your own emotional emanations]

{So?! Just because I was happy then doesn't mean that I'm happy now! Besides, even if it was… _Nice_ , that doesn't mean that he cared about be the same way! Sure, he said that he wanted to… to… to be more than friends, but that could be a lie too! I don't even know what to call a bond that's 'more' than friendship, but I can tell you right now that it's just some elaborate lie to make him seem better than he is!}

It sounded harsh, but it was true. I might be the forgiving kind of person, but to be lied to for this long? Brendan not only didn't trust me, but clearly didn't care for me. If he really did care about me, he would have told me sooner.

[You're allowed to be angry about this, because I am too, and believe me, I'd love to give that kid a piece of my mind. But I feel obliged to remind you that he did tell you his secret]

{So?! That doesn't make a difference at all!}

[I think it makes all the difference. If he really didn't care, like you think he does, he wouldn't have told you at all. Sure, he's useless, and a bit of a pompous idiot, but he's at least sorry, he wouldn't say anything otherwise]

_Sorry?_

{Sorry doesn't mean he cares either! Why are you even arguing with me over this?! He's just guilty, that's all it is! Stop playing Giratina's advocate and help me come with a plan to lea-}

[I'm not playing Giratina's advocate here. Leave him in the dust if you want; the only thing that matters to me is your happiness, and he was pretty good at making you happy. You and I both know how miserable you were at home, and I know you don't want to go back. Plus, even if you believe otherwise, and even if I don't like him, he actually does care for you]

What?

Forsythe was right about home, maybe even the part about how Brendan helped in bringing me happiness before; but actually caring about me?

{How the hell would you even know that?}

[Simple. I might not be able to read his mind, but I'm more than capable of feeling the emanations of his emotions, and let me tell you, the only emotion Brendan has that's stronger than his anxiety, is admiration, and well, love]

Forsythe paused his thought stream, using the brief nano seconds of silence as if to accentuate his next point.

[... And funnily enough, a vast majority of that admiration is directed towards you]

A familiar pang wrenched it's way through my chest.

_He actually does care for me?_

The anger in me denied that even being a possible truth, but if Forsythe was being sincere, then there couldn't really be another answer. I knew what Gallade's emotional sensory system was like; I'd used it through him before hand. But only ever in battles that I'd only recently participated in, and only to read the flow of combat on the psychological level. I didn't like invading other people's emotional privacy after all, however Gallade was never as upstanding about that ethical approach.

[I am telling the truth; he cares. Of course, I'm not saying you should still trust him, or even travel any further with him, but I'd be lying if I said that he hadn't at least been an asset to you. All I want is for you to make a decision on this properly, I'd hate for you to go back to how you were Wally. If that means keeping the lying piece of dirt around, then I'll abide by it, even if I do want to make him _pay_ for lying to you]

With my nerves and mental state being overloaded multiple times in many a short minute, it was a miracle I could even chuckle at that.

{Sometimes I wish you'd be little less logical about things and just let me be angry…}

I told Gallade, sighing and wiping my eyes; they were probably red by now.

[Well, you can still be mad at him, in fact, I'd prefer that. Just don't make snap decisions about anything ok? You're miserable enough right now, I'd rather not add our previous problem back on the list]

Well, that was true. Going home would be even worse now; I'd get to be cooped up again and have to explain how I'd been roped into committing identity fraud, which would only result in my parents not trusting me, or anyone else with me, ever again.

Yet, despite that, and everything Gallade just told me, I couldn't bring myself to forgive Brendan, or Ruby, or whoever he was right now. Betrayal stung. All the care in the world, even with Forsythe's evidence for it, would not erase the fact that I'd been lied to and manipulated. A fact I might have been able to forgive, if there was a good reason for it.

But any reason Brendan could give would only be selfish; the simple fact of the matter was that I'd been used.

Thinking about it that way caused my eyes to water again.

{Forsythe… Come over here for a moment would you?} I asked, breaking my huddling position just a little.

[Sure] He replied, walking forward and kneeling down next to me, retracting his blades into his arms completely.

{I just… What am I supposed to do now?} I intoned mentally as I embraced me Pokemon gently.

I would take what little comfort I could get, and the the one person around me who I could truly trust for that wasn't even a person. Then again, Forsythe was better than a number of people anyway; Cocky and over confident maybe, but loyal and kind too, the best friend I could ask for.

[Oh, I'm flattered] He responded to my train of thought with a joking tone, returning the hug to me. [And I don't really know Wally. Personally, I want to beat that kid up for lying myself, but I don't think that would get us anywhere, and I don't want to make you unhappy either. Maybe the best thing to do would be to decide our next move at Mauvile?]

"I guess" I whispered, somehow managing to form words again as I tightened my hug around my Pokemon.

[...There's no rush either. We don't have to go back to him just yet]

That was true; it be best to let my emotional turmoil subside more before I returned. At the very least, I did tell Brendan I'd come back, and unlike him, _I wasn't a liar_.

I didn't know if I had the capacity to do it alone right now though.

"I'm going to keep you outside of your ball for a while, you don't… you don't mind right?" I asked, shaky accents still audible in my speech, but only just.

It felt imposing to demand Forsythe be my balance, and I felt bad calling him out for something like this, but it wasn't like I had the luxury of options.

[It's fine. I'd prefer it actually] Forsythe responded as I let the embrace drop.

Shuffling in my position, I wordlessly signalled for Forsythe to sit, back to the tree, right beside me. Reading my thoughts, he sensed my intention and relaxed backwards, letting me lean my head on his shoulder after he sat down.

A welcome comfort given the circumstances.

What to do now though? Leave? Stay? Try to go home? Or stick around until I attained the ability to do this journey on my own? Perhaps that was my greatest problem actually. No matter how strong I wanted to be, or how adamantly I would pretend, I couldn't have made it this far without Brendan. The real question was whether or not I'd choose to go further; was it worth the trouble after this though?

Manipulated into committing a crime, and then following around after a runaway; life had a strange way of giving me a way accomplish my dream of travelling.

I sighed.

"I'm a fool for believing in him aren't I?" I asked, the question not so much for Forsythe, but for myself.

[Maybe, but could anyone blame you for believing in him? I've yet to grasp the point behind most human behaviour, but in this case I understand Wally. He enabled everything you wanted, and did seemingly nice things. The only reason I doubted him from the start was because I could feel the black mass of anxiety circling him. Please don't judge yourself for his deceit…]

"You really don't like him do you?" I asked, somewhat in jest, somewhat in seriousness.

[If it were up to me, he wouldn't be making it out of this forest. So no, no I don't. But the better, more important question is: Do you?]

I'd expected a wise crack, a little bit of humor; something that could cheer me up just a tiny bit. Apparently Forsythe preferred important questions instead. It caught me off guard even, but that didn't make it a bad question either.

It was just… I didn't have the answer to it.

"I don't really know anymore…" I answered truthfully, wiping my eyes a final time with the arm I wasn't leaning on.

The answer echoed amidst the dark silence of the night; or perhaps that was just what it felt like in my head. Like a truth that had wormed it's way to the surface of it's own accord. Before today I was basically infatuated with Brendan, thinking he could do no wrong. However, after tonight I was simply… Unsure. Maybe it was due to Forsythe's logic, or perhaps my own lingering care for Brendan, but with my anger subsided to a dull flicker, I couldn't bring myself to hate him.

Despite how I'd been treated, I wasn't sure whether I liked or hated him. A normal person in my position should hate his guts, ditch him in the forest and leave in the dead of night. Yet I couldn't even rouse the animosity to simply dislike him.

I sighed.

At least I wasn't being fooled by the façade anymore; at least now I didn't think so highly of him either.

"There's something wrong me." I said aloud, allowing myself to go completely slack, as Gallade's shoulder kept me partially upright.

_Something wrong indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! We have plenty to talk about, so I'll get right too it!
> 
> Lets start by discussing Forsythe. As a pokemon, I wanted Forsythe to not only be Wally's foil, but his own character, and I felt that a logical, more emotionally controlled personality who held a great deal of self importance and confidence fit perfectly. So yes, Gallade is an emotion Pokemon... that controls his emotions amazingly well. As you see here, he acts more like an advisor, and while offering his own opinion on the matter, would not act without Wally's leave, and even then, he'd think about it a lot first. Gallade's friendship with Wally is a very strong one, and I'd go so far as to say that Gallade would even sacrifice himself for his trainer. But Forsythe has a more utilitarian approach to people and how they relate to wally. Gallade knows that Brendan has had a massively positive effect on Wally, and indeed, knows that the worst thing for Wally right now would be for them to go home.
> 
> As his friend, and his Pokemon, he'd rather Wally stay happy, or at the very least, stay as far away from his previous unhappiness as possible. Even if that means putting up with Brendan, and his transgressions against his trainer.
> 
> Ironically, this logical stance actually irritates Wally here, since Wally only wanted momentary catharsis, as opposed a view of the bigger picture. But that's all right, because Wally still recognises the value of their chat about Brendan.
> 
> Speaking of Brendan; he's more than likely feeling absolutely awful for this. In fact, we'll probably see how horrible next chapter, along side Cynthia/Steven's reappearance. Doe's he deserve it? Well, that depends. He's done something wrong and horrible, but he is truly remorseful. But what comfort is remorse when your lie is staring you directly in the eye? There's a lot of character development ahead for Brendan, you can believe me on that.This is just the beginning.
> 
> This also goes absolutely double for Wally. Have no fear, while the waters are rocky right now, Wally/Brendan will be the endgame here, and it'll happen sooner rather than later. But in order for there to be a healthy relationship between them, they need to understand each others faults as well as strengths. Wally has to understand and accept Brendan's selfishness, and Brendan has to accept Wally's idealism and naivette. It's all well and good for them to be completely infatuated with one another, but liking only the positives would only lead to massive trouble down the line. In order to strengthen their characters, and their bond, they need this period of development. Fortunately enough for them though, they won't have to fumble along in this alone either.
> 
> While I won't spoil anything at all, I will say we have a pretty big plot fall on the horizon for Brendan's background, and it will come nicely delivered with a new face. A new perspective added to the conversation will help the both of them understand each other better, and may even speed the process up.
> 
> And that's to say nothing of the plot fall regarding Charon and Cynthia that I have planned.
> 
> Simply put, this year's gonna be big, and while we'll probably only reach 50% completion of the story by the end, we'll at least finally see our nerds together full and proper, and have the plot going full throttle. When exactly those things drop though? I can't tell, but if you stay tuned, you'll definitely find out!
> 
> Anywho, I'll disappear for two weeks, and I'll see you guys back here at around the same time then as well. Until then readers, stay safe, and have fun!


	32. A sea of thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Sorry for the short delay, this last week I was kinda distracted since I suddenly found myself in a romantic relationship somehow, and have since been engaging in drawing (and writing) a whole heap of things related to that. Suffice to say, my feelings have had me pretty distracted. Either way though, I'm back now, and I bring you an action packed chapter.
> 
> Originally with this chapter, I wanted to show more of Brendan and Wally, but then decided that instead, I should focus on Steven and Cynthia again. I did this more because the next scene involving Wally/Brendan, required a bit more space than I had at the end of this chapter, and would have made it take that much longer to write and get out. So I will instead save that piece for next time.
> 
> This chapter will not be a slouch however, as I want to demonstrate background information some more for Cynthia, and also get Steven to show of a really neat trick this chapter.
> 
> Either way, it's fairly meaty as chapters go, so hopefully you enjoy it's content. Anywho, have fun reading everyone, and I hope to see you in the end notes, because I actually have a lot to discuss with this chapter.

"Shuradou, _Neutralise her Pokemon_ , this woman and I have things to discuss… _at length_ " I said aloud, deliberately warning my enemy.

Why?

To instil fear of course, to make sure she knew exactly how this would end. This was no longer a mission to be handled delicately; this woman may know of my true target and I couldn't wait to bleed her for every bit of information she might possess on Charon. Besides, nobody had ever been able to dethrone me as champion in my entire career with a transcendental Shuradou ready to fight. Not a soul had made Shura faint, and this woman wouldn't come close to being the first; ice type or not.

"Kouri, use blizzard, send that _bitch_ and her Pokemon flying!" Came the panicked response of my opponent.

_Trying to take us off our feet by targeting us both?_

Underhanded, but ultimately futile. Shuradou's leg muscles had already tensed, she would launch in the next half second and cut the Walrein down. Even the most powerful ice type move had little hope of preventing the impact.

"Ningendou, act as a brace for me and use protect" I said calmly as my Lucario obeyed, if seemingly reluctantly.

Just in time too.

It was almost immediate, perhaps even cutting close to the time it took Lucario to pull up the protection barrier. Still, both me and Nin stood firm, in part thanks to Nin's help. For a simple blizzard attack, this was incredibly strong, strong enough to force Ningendou to manifest his Aura physically to brace his own feet, even with the barrier up. Given it's sudden nature, and it's strength, it cut off my vision of the surrounding area too. For but a few moments, my surroundings where nothing but a haunting, whiring white; the sound alone was deafening, forcing me to hold my hands up to my ears.

I had to wonder how Shuradou had held up; not that I doubted her, but I hoped she hadn't sustained too much damage from this attack. It would make catching the aqua agent in front of me that little bit harder, and right now I couldn't stomach the idea of delays.

Eventually, after a few more milliseconds, the storm incurred a sudden dip in intensity, and patchs of the world came back into view. Along with it, a clearly audible scream was heard; almost drowned by the thwack just before it.

_Shuradou was successful._

" _ **KOURI, NO! HOW?! FUCKING HOW?!**_ " A shout echoed against the night.

Within its undertones, disbelief and anger.

Thankfully, the storm had fully dissipated by the time I contemplated the potential scenarios happening behind it. Of course, best-case situations were rarely the first thing to happen, and in this case it was true enough.

Walrein had sustained a heavy gash across it's chest; fortunately for the Walrein, Shura had not cut beyond the fatty layer of tissue that protects most Walrein. Which technically speaking, would be odd under normal circumstances, since Shuradou had more than enough power to cut even a Walrein in half with one sweep. However, I had surmised that such a strong blizzard had reduced the force of the blow significantly; enough so that the only danger of a fatality from it would be if it was left to bleed.

Needless to say, such a fact caused me to check the state of my own Pokemon.

Assessing the condition of Shuradou, I was relieved to find minimal damage. The blizzard had caused many grazes and cuts, but nothing skin deep. Which meant Shura's only problem right now would be stinging pain; a sensation she was used to, something easily defeated by the mind.

For her part in this, my opponent had lost all sense of the battle, choosing instead to clutch both her Pokemon tightly. Something I found rather odd, given who she was, and what organisation she belonged to… _Nevermind the foul company her organisation kept._

" **Kouri… Mizu… Hang in there…** _ **Please**_ **.** " She pleaded to her Pokemon, tears beginning to form.

_Pfft, a pitiable attempt at deception, nothing more. She's_ _**exactly** _ _like galactic! those are just false tears!_

{Master her aura, she's!-}

"Lying, I know. She doesn't care for them at all, despite the fact that they are willing to fight to the death for her…" I said through gritted teeth.

It brought back the memories again. Galactic used similar tactics; one particular admin pulled this routine on me in fact.

_Mars._

I spared her Skuntank during a fight at Sinnoh's wind-works, east of Floaroma town. She too had pretended to cry, pretended to care about her 'precious' Skuntank. And when I let up my attack? When I provided the mercy, and the option for her to come quietly?

Mars instead order her Pokemon to attack the gymleader accompanying me on my mission, ending both the life of her Pokemon and my protege in a single explosion attack, and attack that almost killed me and my Pokemon as well.

_This Aqua admin is no different, if I don't stop her Pokemon now, she'll use them as bait to escape, or as weapons against me anyway. Either way, they are doomed thanks to their trainer._

"I'm going to nullify your ability to fight me right now, whoever you are. You had a chance to back down earlier when I offered it, but you declined." I said, anger spiking again as memories of the past clouded my mind.

" **N-NO! DON'T HURT THEM!** " The woman screamed at me, clutching her Pokemon tighter.

"You're a good fucking actor, I'll give you that! But I have no intention of believing in this stupid facade!" I shouted back.

The anger I had managed to keep in check thanks to Steven was coming back in full force. Memory certainly wasn't a helpful factor in that either. Yet, I didn't actually care, for once, I felt the need for catharsis; the need to prevent new mistakes from being merely repeated past ones.

{ **Master, I mean no disrespect, but I have to inform you tha-!** ]

" **Shut up, Nin! Now is not the time for you to tell me about any closing in auras! We have an opponent to capture!** " I snapped, not bothering to care for the confused expression on my opponent's face. " **Enough interruptions! Shuradou!** _ **Remove her ability to retaliate or defend!**_ " I shouted into the cold night air.

Shuradou tensed her muscles, getting ready to launch into another ferocious attack, just as my opponent let out a final cry and got to her feet.

" _ **I WON'T LET YOU HURT THEM!**_ " The woman screamed, stepping _in front_ of her pokemon; _directly in the path of attack_.

_What?!_

I shouted in my own head, disbelieving that she'd actually die for her Pokemon. Galactic viewed their Pokemon as tools; weapons. They were discardable in their eyes, but this aqua member… _She would put her own life above theirs?!_

I panicked; if she died I'd lose my lead on Charon!

" **SHURADOU, STOP!** " I shouted just as my Pokemon leapt forward.

The change in tone and command shocked my Pokemon, causing it to shove it's claws into the ground in an effort to quell its momentum. Such an awkward stopping motion was bound to cause damage to the limbs, but nothing too severe. What I was really hoping for was that I'd called out in time to prevent the attack from occurring outright.

_Thankfully, it appeared that I had._

Shuradou may have even broken one of her limbs with the sudden stop, but it didn't prevent her from retreating; though she was still confused as to why I would call off the attack. Truthfully, Shuradou's confusion was nothing to mine, nor that of the woman who had almost risked serious injury, even death, to stop me.

_Or so it fucking appeared._

" **Explain yourself!** _ **NOW!**_ " I shouted through gritted teeth.

Losing my grip on proper reasoning; the memories contrasted with the present and it's differences finally breaching my last Iota of self control. Not that I cared. All I wanted to know was the truth; confirm the reality that this woman was scum and nothing more.

{ _ **Master I need you to rethink what you'r-!**_ }

" _Shut the fuck up Nin! I told you already,_ _ **Now is not the fucking time!**_ " I shouted angrily back at my Pokemon, further confusing my opponent.

_Who had yet to answer me._

" **You!** _ **Speak up, or I'll resume my fucking assault!**_ " I yelled again at the horrified person I was currently staring down.

_If looks could kill, I'd have murdered her at least three times over by now._

" _w-wha… w-what the f-fuck is wrong with you?!_ " She began, spitting at me venomously despite her own terror. " **You had an open line to capture me, to arrest me like you said! and you… you decide to just** _ **kill**_ **my fucking pokemon?!** " The aqua agent shouted with anger to rival mine.

_Not that I gave a damn._

" _If I don't, you'll just let them die to cover your ass anyway! You think I haven't seen this little charade you're pulling?! I've been in this game more than long enough to understand how people like you think!_ " I answered with my own righteous anger, voice shaking and cracking with each sentence.

At this point, my focus had excluded all but the target of my wrath, I'd lost awareness of even my own Pokemon, and hers.

" **What in the flying fuck is that supposed to even mean?! 'How people like us think'?! You don't even know a damn thing about us! And you call yourself Cynthia?! You're strength might seem similar to hers, but you're nothing like her at all! And I might be a 'criminal' by the petty standards this region sets, but even I wouldn't be mercilessly attacked by the** _ **real**_ **Cynthia!** " She spat at me, arms reaching for another Pokeball.

_You are just like the others! Send out another hapless Pokemon to die for you so you can fucking escape!_

"And if you think that I'm just going to rollover and… _let_ you kill _my_ _partners_ ,then you're not only a common impersonator and a Pokemon culler, **but you're also incredibly stupid,** _ **you fucking bitch!**_ "

_Me? A Pokemon culler?! SHE WAS THE ONE ASKING THEM TO FIGHT FOR HER FOR SOME INSANE IDEOLOGY._

I snapped, and began to shout out my final command.

" **SHURADOU, I COMMAND YOU TO-!** "

{ **MASTER! ENOUGH!** } Came a piercing shot in the otherwise blind fog of my rage.

Sudden and sharp; the sound had given me enough of a shock to remind me of my surroundings once more. The other woman's movements stopped, alongside that of her Pokemon, as a faint blue light surrounded them, a light a I recognised as I tried to turn my head to see what I assumed was the source: Ningendou's signature psychic.

_Only to find I was also unable to move._

Panicking at the notion, I looked down with only my eyes, unable to move my neck or head despite willing myself to do so. What I found just rekindled my anger again.

_Why the fuck?!_

"Ningendou! Release me this instant!" I shouted angrily, struggling harder against my psychic bonds.

But to no avail.

{ _No._ I will not do so master, not until you calm down.} Came yet another errant thought into my mind, much calmer than my own.

"The hell you will! **Let me go** _ **right now!**_ **You keep holding me like this and the aqua grunt will get away!** "

It was true, linger too long and her help would arrive, giving her plenty of time to elude me. She possessed important information; I _had_ to capture her, and I couldn't give her _any_ options for retaliation either, even if it mean-

{She isn't in any danger of leaving. With that said Master, I can stand silent no longer; you've driven me to use up most of my energy to keep you both in place.}

" _ **NINGENDOU I SWEAR TO ARCEUS-**_ **!** "

{You know as well as I do this won't last longer than a two full minutes at most without me transcending, especially with how many I have to restrain. Master, Stop fighting and _listen to me!_ }

Nin's voice was pleading, perhaps even begging. My rage suggested just waiting out the time it would take for Nin to run out of the energy required to keep everyone down. At the present moment, that was all I could do, but I'd be sure to act the moment it dropped.

My Pokemon took my silence as defeat; far from it in my mind, but in either case I'd just have to wait.

{Master… I can understand having to… having to slay another Pokemon when necessary, but this is too much. Whatever this woman's motive is, she cares for Pokemon enough to take a fatal blow; surely you understand that she isn't the object of your hatred?!}

"Hatred? Don't make me laugh Nin; this has nothing to do with hating her, we just have to stop her and everyone else like her. You know these types as well as I do; we let her have even a single option, and she'll use it to get out… _Which is why you should let me go._ _ **Now**_ " I intoned angrily.

With every struggle, I tunneled even harder, thrashing at my psychic bonds in quiet, yet unbridled rage.

"S-Stop blabbering to you're fucking Lucario like a crazy person you hag! Tell him to let us go! Or do your own Pokemon hate you so much that they don't even listen to you?!" The aqua agent shouted from her own place on the ground far from me.

She couldn't hear what Nin had to say in my mind through telepathy; just as well too, she might get the idea that'd I would consider giving her a chance to get away from me. Still, I wanted to hit her with another attack for that; My Pokemon hate me? Coming from her? The utter fucking _hypocrisy_ of it all just drove me up the proverbial wall.

{I've watched this whole fight you know} Nin began, ignoring both of us. { You're aura got progressively darker and larger, but not gradually. You _are_ feeling hatred master, perhaps not for this woman, but for the concept you think she embodies. I can tell, the aura energy you've emitted spiked at several key points in this fight, and even just before then it was unstable. Before I stopped you, it had reached the point where I could no longer see any other aura clearly, not with yours burning up the night all around us.}

_So what if I did hate what she stood for?_

"Your point? Don't you hate their intentions too? _Or did you forget how Gardenia die-_ "

{Of course I didn't forget! I was the one who consoled you after her death; me and me alone! … Team Galactic did horrible things Master, but that… that doesn't give you an excuse to turn into the kind of individual you hate!}

_WHAT?!_

" _ **Nin, don't you ever fucking DARE to compare me to Galactic! I DO WHAT I HAVE IN ORDER TO SAVE LIVES AND PREVENT TRAGEDIES, WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO JUDGE MY ACTIONS, YOU'RE ONLY A POKEM-**_ **!** "

_I froze. I'd repeated something I shouldn't have, a phrase that didn't,_ _**shouldn't** _ _belong to me._

A haunting memory had been playing this entire fight, nay, it had sat hidden in my head the entire day even. Mar's selfish actions and the windworks mission. Events of that job had repeated again during my fight, but as the tragic memory reached it's end, I'd skipped to the final parting words I'd heard. The words repeated in my head, only under a different voice and name; a name most foul, the name of Mar's senior officer within Galactic; her assistant on that mission.

- _'Cynthia, you mustn't put so much care into saving Mar's tools from their fate…_ _ **they're only a Pokemon**_ _, they exist purely to help us in our research; and given their poor performance, they don't deserve respect, let alone compassion. Foolish girl, you've a lot to learn still._ '-

_Charon._

"N-Nin, I didn't m-mean…" I almost whimpered, mood switching violently from anger to regret as my opponent started yelling at us from where she sat.

{Master…} Nin said in my head; he sounded hurt. {... I'll capture this woman for you, just… don't say anything more, _please_.} Nin intoned again as the psychic energy around my body flickered and lifted.

Leaving me to stand of my own free will again, not that I had the motivation for it right now. Anger had risen dramatically over the past couple of minutes, but with the memory finally closing, and with what I'd said, it drained away, leaving just hollow regret.

I'd said something wrong; I was close to losing my cool entirely, but with Gardenia's death resembling the battle I had here tonight it wasn't hard to justify it all to myself. I was already off centre before I'd even discovered this aqua grunt, but she acted just like Mars did. Hiding in the shadows, seeming to care for her Pokemon only to lower my guard. Except in her case, it wasn't a lie…

_Why?_

Echoed the question in my head, as I resolved to get up and pull out my handcuffs.

_Lucario can only hold her for so long, I have to bind her myself._

Which would be hard; I lacked the emotional courage to face my Pokemon after what I had said. It was almost morbidly funny that the action that broke my rage wasn't even done by anyone else this time.

Just me; just my own words, _my own horrible words_.

* * *

 

Normally I'd be more subtle and thorough. Taking my time with things and establishing a steady pace was my go to for most scenario's. That said, what with today's round of luck, and the fact that I had to leave Cynthia behind, I was fairly certain my hastiness, and my soon to be blatant disregard for property could be forgiven.

[Atropos, blast open that fucking door!] I shouted across my psychic link.

_**BOOM.** _

Whatever remained of the steel door to the shipyard flew metres ahead, hitting the back wall of the complex as Atropos meteor mashed it to pieces, blowing the whole front entrance apart as a result. As the wind from the blast rushed through my hair, I stepped forward and placed my hand on top of Atropo's head.

My strongest Pokemon, a Metagross without equal; Nigh invincible with the power to match.

{You flatter me Mr. Stone}

And yet, civilised and formal, even in the heat of battle.

[You're work is never not impressive, old friend. But now isn't the time to be dawdling]

As I spoke in my head, passing the information across the link, I step futher forward, walking into B-11's hall. All the shipyards had a reception and a lobby for the workers at the front entrance, but fortunately, the hall would not extend very far.

_We're so fucking close._

On my way here I'd fought two grunts. One of them ambushed me in the docks, just before the shipyard, and the other before the door. Both battles lasted less than thirty seconds, and I put both to sleep using Pokemon induced hypnosis, thanks to my Pokemon Apollo. In all he time I'd ran here, and even through the delays, I'd yet to hear the sound of the steel doors opening to allow the sub passage.

Which meant it was already gone, or-

_**Clack.** _

_**Clank.** _

_**Whiiiiiiirrrrrrrrr.** _

"Fucking speak of Giratina..." I cursed to no one but myself.

_We're only just on time!_

[Atropos, let's hurry! Time to pick up the pace!] I shouted inwardly, beginning to run down the hall, my Pokemon overtaking me as we reached the open arch to the in-door shipyard.

{As you will it, Mr. Stone} Was the reply as the both of us hit the open light of the next room.

Given the dark of night before hand, I had to take a moment to adjust to the unnaturally bright setting, but as I squinted around, finding the sub _still docked_ in the process, I caught two figures above it.

One of them an old man from the looks of things, and the other a man wearing what seemed to be a blue, one piece jumpsuit with an open collar, and a miniature… anchor? around his neck?

I couldn't tell just yet, not with my blurry vision, but I could hear them taking even from here.

"Aren't you concerned about that noise, Captain Archie?" Said the old one, in a voice that seemed… vaguely familiar.

"Haw haw haw!" A hearty laugh was the other man's response. "Don't ye worry Kerberos, even if an interloper got here in time, I'd hold 'em off me-self. Ye just focus on doing ya job and makin' sure the crew is ready ta take this thing out ta sea for extraction. I didn't bring ye along ta worry 'bout our sorry backsides. Really, who coul-"

_The talking stopped._

_**Shit.** _

As my vision finally focused properly, I was able to ascertain why; they'd spotted me and Atropos. Yet the look I got from both men couldn't be any more different from one another.

The one called Archie, presumably the Aqua captain on this mission, he was smiling like a fucking shark. But the other, older one… He looked annoyed, the kind of annoyed one would be if they had to deal with an inconvenient problem.

"Well Well, looks like we have a stowaway on this here voyage of ours, eh Kerberos?" Archie asked, smile getting wider.

The wrinkled old man, with his short cut grey hair, and white coat with dress pants seemed out of place amongst aqua; perhaps a field lab operative? Or a technician? I couldn't really know, but he barely glanced me over again before moving out of view with a wave.

"You deal with him, I'm moving this hunk of metal with or without you Archie." Was the last I heard of Kerberos.

However, though it took only seconds, his disappearance caused the submarine to begin submerging.

_SHIT._

Shocked out of my dumbfounded and curious state by the necessity of action, I called out with my voice.

"Oh no you fucking _don't_! Metagross, use flash cannon on the sub!"

There was no time to consider any other option, damaging the sub would prevent it being seaworthy, and damage could be repaired; loss of an entire submarine could not.

{Once again, I agree.}

Metagross answered my internal monologue, charging up the flash ball, and bracing it's legs into the ground to prevent the knock back of the eventual shot.

"Sorry laddie, but I'm afraid I have ta call ye foul on that." Archie said calmly with a grin, before a flash of white light blinded me momentarily.

He'd thrown a Pokeball.

"Metagross, fire!" I shouted again, not caring for Archie's babbling. wanting to resolve this before the Pokemon materialized.

"Taki! Use protect and shield the sub!" Archie shouted back as the white light dissipated.

_Revealing a Gyrados._

Atropos fired upon my command, and the ball of light struck the protect barrier with such a speed that I had to brace against the resulting shockwave.

_Arceus dammit!_

Even before the dust settled, I knew we'd failed to do any damage at all. Which only compounded the fucking problem, because the sub was still lowering into the water; if it fully submerged, they'd be able to flee with it in tow, and I couldn't let that happen!

{My apologies for interrupting Mr. Stone, but if I may, I suggest an all out offensive? A hyper beam would be sufficient to break down that kind of defence.}

It was true, hyper beam would be strong enough to break that barrier, but even then, in our current state, it would be severely weakened afterward, and therefore unable to damage the Pokemon behind it enough to knock it out. No, we needed to put _everything_ Atropos had into this.

[Brace for Mega-Evolution Atropos!] I warned my Pokemon through the link.

{As you will it.} Came the reply.

With my Pokemon's willingness, and my resolve, I grabbed the mega stone lodged in the broach that I had left sitting in the pockets of my cargo pants disguise. Willing both our intentions into the jewel, until a faint light could be seen glowing through the pocket itself.

"Oh?" Archie said in surprise, hopping on top of his Gyrados and getting it to lower him onto the dock with me. "Ye got a fancy light show as well laddie? Well, colour me impressed." The man in the blue onepiece said sarcastically.

"Lightshow? Hahahahaha..." I laughed, my catharsis staring me right in the face, begging me to take it. "... Oh it'll be a show all right; I'm going to take you down and put you in prison for so long even your soul will fucking rot… The shit you people put me through…" I said with a deadly smile.

Anger was the third emotional component to this process, though not necessary, it was however called for. Aqua had me running in circles, stole my research from me and was now attempting theft of my father's pride and joy right in front of me. And I would have the pleasure of tearing down this agent of theirs and bringing him in.

It's time.

A flash of light engulfed the whole shipyard, bright enough to defeat the spotlights above us and overpower their own intensity. Both Archie and I shielded our eyes as my Metagross shone; a beacon of raw power.

In no time at all, the light vanished, and Mega Atropos appeared. It's arm's folded forward, it's whole body radiating with such overwhelming psychic power that keeping itself afloat in mid air became child's play.

_Time to use Hyper be-_

" **Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise!** " Shouted my opponent, his smile getting _even_ wider, if such a thing were possible. " _ **I love ta see people live up ta me expectations.**_ " Archie stated calmly as he grabbed the anchor necklace he was wearing and turned it around.

 _Revealing a mega stone_ and leaving me completely gobsmacked.

"Surprised laddie? Ye should be, **hell,** _ **ye should feel honoured.**_ People normally don't get to test the full power of the ocean…" Archie said deadpan as his Pokemon and the stone began to glow.

_No fucking way!_

[Metagross, charge the hyper beam, _now!_ We can't let him stop us! _Put_ _ **everything**_ _you have behind this attack!_ ] I yelled in my head, realising that this could stall us enough for the sub to get out of our reach.

{I shall endeavour to do so as efficiently as possible, Mr. Stone.}

True to it's word, Metagross began charging a clump of energy between it's four forward-facing arms. A clump that steadily grew over the passing seconds. Fortunately our opponent was not as experienced with Mega Evolution, and thus their process was slower.

_If we could just fire before-_

" **Rooooooooowwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh** "

The cry of the now mega-evo'd Gyrados filled the air, and chilled it to the core. This Pokemon was incredibly strong, if noise alone was anything to go off. Something that only pissed me off further; as if we didn't have enough problems already!

"Taki, I'd appreciate it if'n ya took out that Pokemon over there for me. Use Hydropump and clear a path for our prize's getaway yeah?" Archie ordered as the last of his mega-evolution light disappeared, lifting the veil on his Pokemon.

His menacing, horrifyingly large leviathan of a Pokemon.

_**FUCK.** _

[Atropos, we don't have time to maintain charge, fire it now!] I yelled at my Pokemon in thought, as the enemy Gyarados motioned to shoot the Hydropump at my Pokemon.

{I'm only at sixty or so percent capacity, but I will comply Mr. Stone.} My Pokemon said calmly as it forcefully fired the beam.

_**SHWOOM.** _

I had to cover my face as the white hot energy zipped forward at an astonishing speed, creating a flash heat wave in the room. There was an explosion, and the sound of gushing water being fried, along with the feeling of… rain? Did we hit the Hydropump directly?

Once the heat and light lowered below searing, I pulled my now damp arm away from my eyes and checked the scene. To see Archie, his Gyrados, and the now almost submerged submarine still intact.

_No no no!_

"Nice try laddie, but no luck, ye have ta do _far_ better than that if'n ye wanna stop me. Especially since ye only have another 30 seconds at best before I hoist anchor and leave with me prize." Archie said shrugging with a smile.

_He's treating this whole battle like a fucking joke!_

"You know what?! **I have had** _ **enough**_ **of this crap! To hell with this building, that sub,** _ **and you!**_ " I shouted in rage.

If I did what I was about to do, I'd not only give away my true identity, but I'd also more than likely do major damage to this complex if I didn't maintain the psychic net. Though my identity was of little consequence, the energy drain on my Pokemon and myself would be tremendous, especially on the conduits.

_An exhausting option, but much easier when I have two psychic Pokemon on me!_

To think I had been forced so far as to bring out my whole repertoire. It was dangerous for undercover champions to keep their whole roster on them, but I'd done so on this mission on the off chance I had need of more than two.

_And I was right._

" **Apollo! Athena! Thanatos! Hephaestus! Zelus! I need your help!** " I shouted, enlarging every pokeball I'd kept hidden in my pockets between my fingers and flinging them forward in one swift motion.

In sequence of calling, they emerged. Bronzong, Skarmory, Aggron, Bisharp and Aegislash. All of my partners, all at once. In a sequential flash of light, they took shape. It would be necessary to have them all participate, since individually, my Pokemon were slightly weaker than any of Cynthia's Pokemon. _But,_ together, under the direct influence of a psychic link, stretched into a net, they were terrifying. Able to attack wordlessly and perfectly in sync; my most powerful, and experimental battle technique.

Technically illegal by official league rulings of course, but legality was the least of my worries at the moment.

"W-Wait! Those names! **Those Pokemon?!** _ **L-Laddie, y-you're-!**_ " Archie breathed, his smile breaking for the moment, giving way to what looked to be either fear or excitement.

" _That's right asshole._ _ **I'm**_ _ **Steven Stone**_ _, the champion of Hoenn..._ _ **And I have had ENOUGH of you and your trash team mates causing havoc in MY region!**_ "

[Create the psychic net] I commanded wordlessly to Apollo, and Atropos. The only two Psychic types among my team right now.

{Already handling input from Zelus and Thanatos.} Metagross replied.

||Affirmative. Link Established amongst units Hephaestus and Athena commander.|| Bronzong chimed.

{||Syncing cognitive feed now||} Both intoned in unison.

Like a waterfall, the plethora of emotional states, sensory feeds, and cognitive responses of all six of my Pokemon surged through me. Without training, and a sturdy conduit like Atropos or Apollo to handle bulk cognitive computation, such a process would render a person unconscious, simply out of sheer over stimulation. The awareness and mental fortitude required to direct the actions of seven bodies, and to feel each of their senses in parallel; well, it could best be described as a _very_ taxing technique. Not to mention it required training each member of the net in psychic linking, and proxy psychic linking. To maintain such a state, I would have to shove my own anger aside, and harmonize my mental state with my Pokemon. Cognitive dissonance between two members of a link was manageable. With multiple members, a dissonant ripple could potentially break down the entire net, and thus separate the conjoined mental processes unceremoniously into their constituent sub-parts.

So, before fulling committing my mind to the net, I cleared all my current thought patterns, to make way for the combined thought-stream. A feat I… _We_ learned to achieve in mere seconds with practice.

" **It's time.** " _We_ said aloud, using _our_  human body as the verbal expresser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! Did you say 'holy shit' while reading this? Because I kinda did while writing it.
> 
> Honestly speaking, it's really hard for me to tell you just how tragic Cynthia actually is, without spoiling a lot. She's a badass through and through, and has more than enough power to beat pretty much anyone in a 1v1 Pokemon fight. But she isn't an aloof machine; she has very big issues surrounding team galactic, to the point where, even when she isn't directly searching for them (as in before looker came along to slateport and slipped a lead) that anything regarding the past triggers her emotional barriers (her mistreatment of Steven because she believes him slightly responsible for Charon's getaway).
> 
> Now at first, I hadn't planned for her to reach a near breaking point, but then I realised that this would work better with the upcoming events and the 'talk' she and Steven were supposed to have had by now, but that was interrupted by this whole team Aqua fiasco. It gives her more to talk about, fleshes out her past some more and in general should engage the reader in understanding her emotionally. One of my reviewers told me a while ago that they wished that the Cynthia parts were more thoroughly explained and thought out with detail on her past, through the character herself, so the reader could have more fun reading her sections. It's for this reason I've also chosen this route, as it not only does not impact my future plans too heavily, but in fact enhances them.
> 
> That said, I'm not too sure if this side of Cynthia's personality would be well received, and in fact I'm a tad nervous about releasing this (I even thought about re-writing back in the blander, more straightforward fight with less anger and only short memory flickers as opposed to full blown comparisons by Cynthia herself). Let me know how you find it, as I'm actually quite self concious about that particular section. If the feedback is negative, I can always retrieve my initial draft and try that section again, since altering it at this point won't severely affect the following scenarios I have planned too heavily (instead of retconning down the line, which I really don't want to do).
> 
> Anywho, enough of Cynthia, lets talk Steven.
> 
> Or rather, the parallels between the two. Steven and Cynthia have switched places, where Steven is controlled and threatening, and Cynthia's hitting bumpy patches. Also note that Steven can effectively communicate with six of his Pokemon simultaneously through a very advanced application of psychic linking. As opposed to Cynthia's inability to effectively communicate with just her Lucario.
> 
> Speaking of said application, while it's not stated, the technique Steven calls the 'psychic netlink' is far more dangerous than Steven has explained. You've already seen what one body's worth of pain received by this technique does to Wally, nevermind a simulatenous six bodies worth. Add to the fact that it leaves the users mentally exhausted, more so the 'conduits' than anything else, and it's also very short lived. With that said, this is a demonstration of the upper limits of that kind of ability, something I not only wanted to showcase in order to show a proof of concept for how a certain two gym leaders battle later, but also as an example of the kind of thing Wally could be capable of in time.
> 
> Especially since Wally's natural talent and coincidental practice makes him quite special. How you ask? Well, for starters, he's the only person alive who's maintained a link passively, and for so long in his youth, that he can keep a 1 to 1 link up without needing rest periods. You can bet there's a whole bunch of tricks he can pull, and maybe he can even already do some that Steven can't, who knows? (well I do, but I can't tell you yet haha). All I can say is, I was quite excited to reveal this advanced move, because I want to play around with the potential mechanics I've introduced.
> 
> ANYWAYS
> 
> I've rambled enough, so for my shout out section, I'm gonna thank my new romantic partner, and all around cool human Myoogen for their support, and for being one of my favourite peeps :3 If you're reading this, I want you to know that you are awesome!
> 
> Well, that about wraps up my chapter for this week. Let me know what you think in a review! (or PM!) I've introduced heaps of things in this chapter, and it's been pretty hectic, but overall a fun ride to write. So stay safe readers, and I'll see all your lovely faces in two weeks for chapter thirty three!
> 
> (P.S. If I was a betting man, I'd be google-ling the name 'kerboros', but that's just me. Have fun everyone!)


	33. Reversal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone. I'll start off by apologising for updating for a while. For the past few months, my life has been... less than amazing. I've had to deal with looking for a new home and then being put in hospital for surgery. Those of you who follow my tumblr would already know bits of this information. Originally this chapter was to come out after I'd found and organised a new place for me to live in. Unfortunately, it was around that time that I also had to go into surgery so that the doctors could remove fluid and diseased tissue from my body. Ultimately the operation left me with three open wounds that required packing with gauze and wound redressing in order to prevent them from healing badly. I haven't felt 100% due to stress and my current physical condition for quite some time and it has impacted my creative pursuits.
> 
> I've barely even drawn anything in the time I've been gone either; my usual energy just didn't want to show itself. I've been working on this chapter on and off, when I felt up to the task of doing so, and finally its done. My wounds should also heal in relatively short order soon too, so hopefully I'll be back to normal in a few weeks.
> 
> Anywho, with that out of the way, I'll get right to saying that I'm unsure when the next update will be, but hopefully life leaves me alone long enough that the next one won't take months like this one did.
> 
> Anyway, I'll let you guys get right into it. As always, my discussion on the chapter will be in the end notes. See you there readers!

The night air was cold, yet the chill was nothing compared to the racing of my thoughts. As it was, I could barely perceive my surroundings at this point; not for lack of the ability to do so, but merely because I'd been consumed by own internal dialogue.

I was left alone to stew on my actions and the consequences of, with nothing but a waning fire and the trees all around to keep me company. I supposed I looked pitiful, but then I would deserve such an appearance and much more besides that. Betrayal sure did sting, and that was just for me, Wally likely felt a million times worse.

_Wally probably hates me for it._

A fact that turned the self-hatred cycle up to eleven. I wanted to feel horrible and guilty, but doing so only confirmed what I'd done, and therefore rendered pity, or even sympathy from myself worthless. In thinking how horrible this felt, I only managed to betray myself that little bit more; It felt like I didn't deserve to feel like sympathy was needed, since I was the offending party. Who would give comfort to a person that wronged them?

Nobody in their right mind, that's who.

So I sat, wading in the aftermath of my anxiety fuelled high from before. Believing that I would be here a while, even suspecting Wally might have truly left me behind for good; a chaotic thought, something that roused my otherwise defeated spirit. At this point, and despite everything, I didn't want that.

I did not want to leave Wally behind.

_But what good would it do trying to stop that if he hates you?_

Another rogue thought, more uncomfortable than the last, yet not without a hint of truth. It made me twitch in my slouched sitting position, bringing my passion back in check, keeping me stagnant.

"Is there anything I could even say to-"

_Rustling._

Something was moving beyond the clearing, the first proper sound I could hear, apart from the non-descript and seemingly ever present low hum of the wispy night air. As it came closer, I stood up, reaching into my pocket for Flitter's Pokeball, preparing to face whatever wild Pokemon came out…

_Th-Thats!-_

"W-Wally!" I exclaimed, relieved momentarily that he had in fact returned.

Yet, just as fast, my anxiety grew larger; I'd almost began wishing it was a wild Pokemon, since I didn't think I was entirely ready to face the green-haired munchkin again.

Not that I had any choice in the matter now.

"... S-so, w-welcome back… errr…." I offered awkwardly, unsure of how to address my friend.

Nervous didn't even begin to describe my feelings; it didn't help that Wally was wearing a difficult expression to read. Well, perhaps read isn't the word for it. It was a cross between frowning and slight disdain. Yet it was neutral looking, almost hauntingly so. Almost like an acceptance; something which I would not have expected to see from my friend if they did return to me.

I expected pure disgust, hatred, possibly even glares. Wally's expression was near vacant, but with trace amounts of what appeared to be the emotions I had guessed.

_It was haunting, just as much as it was unnerving._

_And yet…_

Something was off. Though I could not put my finger on it immediately, there was something just too different. Wally's expression was only part of what caused my unease; there was definitely something else at work. Desperately, my eyes darted around to center on what exactly was wrong, only to find nothing to latch on to.

" _Hmph._ " Came a sharp scoff.

A dismissal, one completely unlike my friend. It was entirely too cold, to devoid of substance. The Wally I knew was expressive, even if he was shy. Given that I had hurt him, and despite the fact that I was half glad it wasn't the case, Wally should have been far more annoyed, or at least angry with me.

Whatever the case may be, I found myself flabbergasted; lost for words momentarily as Wally walked forward, grabbing his sleeping bag and pulling it a little further away from me. Giving me no heed, not even a glance in my direction, he set it down, all while another rustling could be heard.

Another figure stepped through the clearing, breaking the silence as timely as the previous dismissal.

_Gallade?!_

Why was Forsythe out of his ball?!

I didn't know, but there was something even more unsettling about Gallade than Wally. Forsythe was also ignoring me, but not so much that I couldn't see his face, even in the fading moonlight it was equally as haunting; if not more so because of it. Gallade looked defeated, shattered even. Like he'd lost something, or something horrible had happened.

I turned my head back to Wally, realizing that he was entering his sleeping bag without so much as saying a word about Gallade's appearance, nor what had happened between us.

"W-Wally?" I said instinctively due to all the built up questions

Yet I received no proper answer, just a short grunt and a mumbled word that sounded faintly like 'sleep'.

My anxious high only grew as I realised Wally was going to ignore me until he fell asleep. Technically speaking, and considering my wrongdoings, I deserved silence. However, silence was not Wally's preferred method of dealing with anybody. For him to appear so stoic and calmly disdainful of me, something else had to have happened; it was too stark a contrast to his misty eyed expression a few moments prior his walk into the forest.

At a loss, but uncomfortable from sitting in wait the whole time, I too made my way into my sleeping bag. The warmth of which was about the only welcome feeling to have occurred to me throughout my entire time in this clearing.

Reviewing every possibility in my head, I spent the next hour awake. The seemingly soft light of the moon shone down on us both as I ruminated on the cause for Wally's bizarre mood swing. Despite all the mental effort, an answer did not appear to me, and I slowly, but painstakingly fell into slumber.

Allowing these anxious thoughts prime dream-space with which to torture my rest.

And torture they did.

* * *

" _Holy mother of the ocean._ " I breathed after ordering Taki t'ah defend.

The lad who revealed himself t'ah be Steven Stone; The champion no less, now had me 'n Taki on the back foot.

'Backfoot' might not be the word f'er it.

Losing was better fit

Only thirty seconds into the bout, and Steven had us beat. Handling six pokemon, let alone Pokemon the lad wasn't even issuing commands too, was far too much, even for me. A flurry of attacks, each one co-ordinated t'ah make the next one undodgeable; in this scenario, I had t'ah accept defeat or capture, and unfortunately for me pride, escape was the priority.

I smiled; a hearty grin.

"Yer strong laddie. I was hopin' for a win. _But I guess trying t'ah win twice in one night would just be the greed of a pirate._ " I stated aloud, grin faltering a little.

_The mission had gone well enough anyway._

_**BANG.** _

Another large hit, this time a simultaneous wing attack by the skarmory, a meteor mash from the metagross and a flash canon from the aggron. Taki had managed t'ah dodge one; the wing attack, only t'ah be put in the way of the other two.

_Enough._

Grippin' me golden anchor; the receptacle that held the mega-stone gem, I willed all my resolve into it, before I even called out my next Pokemon.

_We don't have time for the light show, ye have t'ah enter the field ready t'ah go Fuchi. I'm sorry t'ah have t'ah put ye through this._

" **Fuchi, come on out and make some waves!** " I bellowed, throwing the Pokeball I had kept on at the back of me side belt.

Without missing a beat, and while Fuchi both emerged in the water behind me, in the very docks themselves, I pulled up Taki's Pokeball. As Taki was about t'ah take the next round of a attacks, I bellowed again, this time recalling Taki before the strike that would finish this fight.

Immediately, the lad and his agile attackers turned t'ah face me; alone on the docks, and actually looking defeat in the eye. This lad was a tough one.

 _But not tough enough_.

"It's been a blast lad, but I have important work t'ah finish, and I can't have ye interfering in me business any longer." I stated aloud as I hopped over the railing using my arms to flip into the water on the other side.

Just as immediately as my adhoc backflip into the water I heard a sound echo, no, bellow, throughout the indoor dock.

" **GET BACK HERE, YOU AREN'T GETTING AWAY!** "

The sound of frustration. A part of me felt guilty for denyin' the lad his moment of victory, but then, there were more important matters for me to worry about than the pride of a wayward champion.

"Fuchi, the sub's almost gone, take us outta of here and then after it." I ordered firmly.

As I did so, I grabbed hold of my mega-evolved pokemon; Fuchi being a sharpedo meant we'd also be havin' the advantage of cloaking too, not that we'd need it. It was a given the lad back on the dock had little in the way of submersible transportation.

As the sub made way out of the dock and into the outside world, covered in a veil of water no less, Fuchi began moving, picking up speed at a rapid pace; his pacing was always impressive, but mega-evolving broke a lot of barriers.

_If mega-evolution makes regular pokemon this powerful, imagine the potential hidin' in-_

" **DON'T YOU DARE THINK FOR A SECOND I'M LETTING YOU LEAVE MY SIGHT**."

_**BOOM** _

The water behind me exploded, propulsed upwards with incredible force.

_Still at it huh?_

I thought t'ah myself, turning me head around to see what desperate act the lad was trying no-

_Is he fucking flying?!_

The sub was out of the dock already, and I too was about to hit open water, but the lad was _still_ able to follow us, by riding atop his floatin' mega-evolved metagross?!

He was gainin' on us, we had to do something to stop him and fast, or at least buy enough time for the sub to fully submerge out in the open water. Holding of his entire roster would be impossible however…

_Unless he's already called them back!_

He would have had t'ah do it in order to follow us!

"I like ya guts laddie, but you might as well give up!" I shouted at our pursuer as I broke out into open water.

I asked Fuchi to pick up pace as we caught up to the sub that was now almost fully submerged in the dark, moonlit waters of the ocean.

If he had called the rest back, which was almost a given at this point, then we now had a chance to escape with no losses at all. A few seconds at worst would be all I'd need ta'h complete this mission.

" _ **Get back here!**_ " My pursuer shouted again, likely out of patience by now.

_Heh._

With a chuckle, and a word to Fuchi, my Pokemon turned sharply, almost sending me off into the water in the process.

"Dark pluse, now Fuchi!" I exclaimed aloud, takin' the would-be champion by surprise.

Clearly, he hadn't expected a counter attack, but then, he was right in not expectin' one, since in reality this was merely only a diversion. Not that he would be aware of that until it was too late. I couldn't help but laugh heartily as the scene unfolded too.

On cue, the dark pulse hit the enemy Metagross square in the face, forcing the so-called champion to kneel and grip his Pokemon to avoid falling off. The change in balance was enough to slow the pursuit; Our cue to disappear like the sub.

"All right laddie! It's been fun, but I've had me fill, and I've loot to sort. Take care champion!" I said with a shit-eating grin.

Proclaiming my lopsided victory in a round-about manner, I ordered Fuchi to dive beneath the waves, taking me with him. Upon submersion, my Sharpedo kicked it into high gear. Without a follower to distract us with pot shots, or the drag of the waves surface, we could comfortably hit maximum speed under water, a speed which could carry me at least a kilometre before I'd need to resurface for air in around about forty to forty five seconds.

Our poor pursuer didn't stand a chance of catching me.

Which was a good thing; He'd already delayed me plenty, and I didn't particularly feel like up t'ah hearing Shelly telling me that I'd come back late from a mission again.

Hopefully for once, I could be the one to tell her of her own lateness.

_Wishful thinking. That lass is never late back, especially after missions._

* * *

_**THE AURA**_.

_No, that's!_

They were everywhere! I couldn't detect them because of the veritable black sun my master's aura had become during the previous fight with that woman. I couldn't sense their approach, their true number…

_We're surrounded!_

Looking behind me, I saw that my master had already called Shuradou back.

_This was bad!_

{ _ **MASTER, CALL OUT JIGOKUDOU, NOW!**_ }

Master's aura spiked rapidly again, no where near as bad as last time, but enough to signal her unrest. She was unused to me issuing commands, and perhaps in her current state after what was said, she was still disoriented.

But there was a time and place for our disputes as master and servant. What mattered now was keeping her safe; she needed a pokemon much more suited to defence than I right now!

 _Yet she hesitates_.

{ _ **Master, you have to do something right now! Their aura's are almost upo-**_ }

My thoughts cut off by a stray ice beam, heading _directly_ toward my champion who was standing in front of the defeated enemy from before.

Acting fast, and on impulse, I jumped in front of the attack, using extreme speed to briefly break the sound barrier and bypass my body's normal physical limits. The move always left me exhausted in my non-mega evolved form, and to take an ice beam right after, even with my resistance to it…

_Painful._

I grunted, letting very little verbal indication of pain seep out from the me.

"N-Nin!" My master, Cynthia screamed, guilt still tinging her voice. "A-Are you hurt! You look like your in pa-!"

{ _ **NEVERMIND THAT!**_ } I shouted through telepathy. { _ **Call out Jigokudou immediately!**_ } I commanded once more, this time more panicked than the last time.

Shakily, but resolving to my own steel-like will, she complied. Pulling out a Pokeball from her pockets, my trainer called out her team's key defensive Pokemon. A Pokemon that would defend it's master to the point of maliciousness. Jigokudou would grant no quarter to anybody who would hurt her. Not even the dead.

"Jigokudou! I need you're strength!" She shouted albeit with little conviction, throwing the ball and causing an immediate flash in front of her.

The light didn't last long, it was consumed by the dark of the night not shortly after, but in the centre of where the light had been, there stood a stone. An ancient rock filled with a grave and disturbing Aura.

I could feel them, the pulsing of the spirits, the sheer hatred that swirled within them. It was like their collective Aura had congealed; coalescing together through despair alone, forming the mass that was soon to be _it_.

_Jigokudou._

I disliked that Pokemon intensely, but only purely for its outlying qualities and the taste of its Aura. I couldn't deny that, for whatever strange reason, Jigo protected and cared for Cynthia with a zeal that could dwarf even mine.

The black malice that filled the cold night air expanded, and Jigo's spirit manifested fully, bound purely in the physical by naught but it's keystone. A keystone protected by abominable power.

**Woosh!**

_Another ice beam!_

Coming from a Sealeo just ahead of the tree line; I could see some of them now!

 _ **BOOM**_.

A foul wave of dark energy intercepted the ice beam, rendering the attack meaningless and chilling me to my core in the process. Yet nothing compared to the voice I heard when I spoke to Jigo after it's defence.

{Jigo! There's many of them coming out of the woodwork, I can sense more behind that man and his Sealeo near the clearing's edge! I need you to defend Cy- Our master from them!}

I offered over a telepathic link, providing the Aura information to him on the enemy's whereabouts.

/You. Not Cynthia. Can't command us. Only Cynthia. Only Cynthia…/

My master's name repeated in its malformed and fragmented soul, each iteration disturbingly more possessive. But that possessiveness could be used, even if Jigo would not accept my orders.

{Then _I_ will defeat them, and master will praise _me_ for it. Sit back if you wan-}

**/We will. Will make them end. Praise.** _**Mine.** _ **/**

Was the almost booming response.

_Perfect._

Just in time for more Aqua members to emerge from the trees. Yet they had no eyes for us, only master Cynthia.

"Excuse me miss, I don't know who you are, or how the hell you managed to detain our commander, but if you don't let her go… We'll have to make you. Now be a good girl an-"

Another shout rang out, this one from the defeated Aqua leader behind me and Jigo.

" _She is stronger than she looks Corey, Don't underestimate her! She claims to be a champion too, but don't believe her fucking lies!_ _ **She almost killed my Pokemon with no explanation! You woul**_ -"

Another intersection, but this time from someone entirely not human.

_Jigo has begun._

The shadows on the ground, caused by the moon, they began to writhe and thrash like they were being tormented. Lashing at the confines of the ground as if they were alive. A power only known to ghost and dark type Pokemon. Or as my Master termed it: Shade manifestation.

In an instant, a link between Jigo and the first Sealeo we saw was formed; it's target marked by its own shadow. It's trainer watched onward in horror as Jigo closed the distance between both Pokemon with a speed faster than that of light itself.

_Shadow sneak is far more powerful a tool when the user can link shadows together forcibly._

The resulting hit was strong, carrying with it enough force to cause the Sealeo to go flying, directly into the tree behind it. Knocking the Pokemon out cold in one shot.

_Jigo is already overdoing it! He shouldn't put that much force into knocking the enemy ou-_

"All teams, fire!" The other Aqua members cried out, their numbers well into the twenties worth, with just as many Pokemon.

All of them launched their own assault. Confuse rays from Golbats, Shadow balls from the Mightyenas, and Ice beams from the Sealeo. All of them devastating attacks on their own. Together, they were an insurmountable obstacle for me. Coming from too many angles; even using protect wouldn't block them all, I'd do nothing against them.

_But not Jigo._

The shadows flung upwards, almost as if they were full of anger; a vehement outcry against the violence. Manifesting in the physical momentarily, long enough to strain jigo, but not long enough to cause significant damage, and blocked each attack outright. Before continuing on their path.

Master and I could only watch.

Jigo's power remained unchanged, whether one Pokemon was fighting him, or one hundred. He'd match them all as if it was one versus one bout, using Shadow alone. The best way to deal with Jigo was face to face, one on one and with speed. Adding nineteen or so more just provided more targets for the shadows to latch onto.

_Especially with it being night time as it is now._

_**BOOM.** _

_**BANG.** _

_**THWAK.** _

Jigo hit three more targets during the clearing of their last assault. They'd be down to their last in less than minutes. With each felled Pokemon, I could feel Jigo's intense hate fuelled aura wax and wane, ebbing and flowing through the keystone.

_It's almost like that depraved Pokemon is enjoying this._

The Aqua teams responded by ordering another barrage of attacks, this time with far less confidence. Only to have them fail to the shadows once more.

Though it leached stamina from Jigokudou, I knew that Pokemon better than I'd like to admit, a battle with twenty or so Pokemon was not likely to wear him out in the least, even if they attacked simultaneously.

_**THWAK.** _

five hits to five of the attackers Pokemon; their numbers were dropping like flies. Jigo was definitely inducing injuries, more so than he should be, but I couldn't complain too much as long as my master was safe.

"Nin…" Said person spoke under her breath as if in answer to my momentary concern.

It sounded important, whatever it was she was trying to say, and with Jigo defending, I had the luxury of asking what it was.

{Yes?} I enquired, perhaps a little bitterly, maybe over words that were spoken tonight. But enquire I did.

"J-Jigo… He… Tell me if he comes close to… to killing them." She breathed, possibly sensing my slight bitterness.

I was about to agree when another voice spoke up.

_The defeated Aqua member had heard that._

" _ **Kingdra Squad fall back immediately!**_ " Shouted the woman hysterically.

Her Aura bled with genuine panic; she'd become highly distressed. Shaking and moving, trying to break the hold of the handcuffs.

As two more of their Pokemon fell, the shocked kingdra squad as she called it answered back.

"But commander Shelly! We can't just leave you beh-"

The woman shook harder, screaming this time.

" _ **THAT POKEMON SHE'S USING HAS INTENT TO KILL! SHE ALMOST KILLED MY TEAM TOO IN OUR FIGHT! SHE COULD DESTROY ANY OF YOU WITH ONLY ONE FUCKING POKEMON! FALL BACK, REGROUP WITH ARCHIE, DO NOT FIGHT THIS BATTLE!**_ "

Cynthia noticed her thrashing but did nothing about it, she was too shaken from being talked of as a murderer in the making. But then it was almost true. If I hadn't intervened earlier, master might have actually…

_**BANG.** _

_**BOOM.** _

6 more Pokemon fell to the shadow sneaks, causing the rest of the Pokemon's Aura's to spike rapidly.

_They know they're beat._

" **KINGDRA SQUAD, LEAVE,** _ **NOW. THAT IS AN ORDER FROM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER! RECALL YOUR POKEMON AND LEAVE!**_ "

The woman called Shelly; her order, it caused the Aqua's to accept defeat and bring their Pokemon back, a majority of them heavily injured, sadistically so. In turn, their trainers ran, deserting their forward position and heading back into the forest.

But that's not the only thing it caused.

Spurred on by the woman's hysteric cries, and the recalling of all it's available targets, Jigo's shadows began writhing and thrashing even more. As if smelling blood, they flew across the paved ground and onto the dirt path that lead to the clearing.

_Jigo's going after them!_

Quickly, I peered into it's Aura core, traversing the outer layer of despaired souls to find Jigo's true intent.

Accurate to masters prediction, Jigo wanted to hunt them all one by one and… _Exterminate them._

I breathed out a cry, realising how much bloodlust was hidden behind Jigo's, shadowy veil.

"Nin?!" Master responded, knowing full well that I only speak verbally like the usual kinds of Pokemon when something was amiss.

{ _He's going to kill them!_ }

Master; Cynthia panicked. Her internal conflict rising once more. I could feel the inner workings of her emotions; she still bore residual hatred despite her breakdown earlier!

_Did she really intend to let this happen?!_

Even now she was considering that boiling mass of hatred in her stomach, after everything that had happened?! Jigo wouldn't listen to me, only her, if she didn't say anything soon they would all die!

_And she would be responsible!_

Even so, seconds passed, valuable seconds, and she remained silent, torn by her own inner thought patterns. Those Pokemon... Their trainers… They would soon meet their end one by one if Jigo was allowed to catch them as they fled!

{ _ **CYNTHIA,YOU ASKED ME TO TELL YOU WHEN HE WENT TOO FAR, SO MAKE JIGO STOP! RIGHT NOW!**_ } I shouted mentally, even going so far as to bark, no, snarl while doing so.

At the shock of hearing her own name ring out in her mind by a voice foreign to her own inner conversation, Cynthia's thought pattern came to a halt, forcing her back into the reality of the situation.

"J-Jigokudou!" She began, panicked beyond herself. "C-cease attacking!"

The command was shaky at best, barely even emotionally committed, but it worked. The shadows movement arrested suddenly. Slowly, they began to recede, as too did the bloodlust swirling amongst the spirits that comprised Jigokudou's body. It's victory had been satisfied, and Jigo had fulfilled it's master's wishes.

 _Perhaps almost too well_.

It turned to her, giving an eerie smile, a smile that would unnerve even the most willful of people. Yet Cynthia possessed no will left to unnerve. Emotionally and mentally disturbed by this event and the last, Cynthia pulled up his Pokeball and called Jigo back with little regard for the Pokemon's morbid expression.

The gravity of the moments of following silence between us were hard to appreciate, given our still thrashing and madly yelling captive. But I couldn't bring myself to speak to Cynthia after everything that had happened tonight.

The way she acted. The way she almost…

"Nin." She spoke, breaking the silence first with a voice devoid of most emotion. "Take this woman's Pokemon to the ECU at the Pokemon centre."

Her order lacked conviction, indeed, it didn't even sound like the human being I idolised and admired as both my master and friend. The request however was reasonable, Shelly's Pokemon would not last long, even inside of Pokeballs.

Given that I could communicate telepathically, I would have no trouble seeing to their care by other humans. That said, I also didn't much feel like facing the woman who had almost spent a night filled with slaughter; without me, man and Pokemon alike would be lying dead tonight. A fact that disgusted me, because it shouldn't have even taken my intervention.

Saying nothing to Cynthia in response, I took the Shelly's Pokeballs, even at her mad protests. Leaving her, and my ever quiet trainer in each others company for the time being.

Company I was glad not to be a part of for the moment.

* * *

"Ugh." I grunted, rolling over one final time in my sleeping bag.

Awful.

Perfect word to describe both the morning air's chill and my own feelings. Absolutely, positively awful.

It didn't help that my sleep was majorly disturbed either; never mind that I'd slept on the hard ground all night. Bad enough that my dreams were haunted with my mistakes, but to have been woken up by the sounds of shouts and distant cries of Pokemon during the night?

Part of me was curious as to why I'd heard any of that noise at all; the people making it didn't sound like they were in trouble, just… angry, and... distressed? What did it matter though since I was the one who should have been angry!

What inconsiderate group of assholes goes around almost yelling past midnight, did they want to wake up the whole damn forest?

Doubtless they fucking managed that with ease; I got so little sleep I could feel every inch of my skin twitching; almost begging me to return back to those damnable dreams, if only for the rest.

It just served to make me that much more annoyed...

_And yet…_

And yet that annoyance, that anger was nothing compared to the guilt.

I wanted to complain, to shout and scream about every bad thing that had happened so far, but it felt entirely selfish. Selfish because of what I had put another person through, a person who was only just now waking up themselves.

Watching them momentarily from my sleeping bag, I began to wonder how they'd even managed to sleep so well given the noise and their emotional distress from… from me…

_Damn these fucking emotions!_

I bit my lip, a physical manifestation of my frustration; evidence of my guilt, but also of my want to rid myself from it. Then again, there was little to cure it now, and it's not like I had the ability to turn back time either. I had to face my mistakes; maybe if I was open and prevented myself from making more, Wally might trust me again.

_Hopefully._

"Yaaaaaaaggh."

Wally's yawn interrupted my thoughts, reminding me that I had to face today sooner or later.

The boy in question rustled in his sleeping bag for only a few seconds, before unzipping it and getting out of it all together.

I followed suit, removing myself from the confines of my own sleeping bag, if only because I was too nervous to lay about with Wally taking stock of the surroundings, and by extension, me.

It took him a moment, but eventually he turned to me. A look of pure apathy on his face, though even I could tell there was a hint of something else hidden beneath the surface. Whatever the hint was, it didn't seem like resentment, which made it even more off putting.

Wally should still be mad with me; did he really jump straight into indifference? Or was there something else going o-

"Get ready. We have to get to mauville." The green-haired boy spoke.

His voice was harsh. It lacked the soft quality of his normal speech, hell, it even sounded like a command.

"We can't." I answered, dumbfounded by the sudden turnabout of Wally's persona and offering my automatic response.

"And why not?" Came the slightly angry reply.

It took me a moment to process given my confusion, but sure enough, the words that needed to be said flowed from my mouth. If not a little haphazardly.

"B-Because! That man recognised me and there was just a big commotion in Slateport! The media will be flocking to that city like flies! Walking into Mauville now would be like walking into a death tra-

_Rustling._

A growl and the movement of the bushes disturbed my answer.

Without warning a Pokemon bounded out of the bushes and headed directly for Wally. It seemed mad for some reason and ready to strike. Wally however didn't even flinch; _if anything he looked like he was going to take the tackle head on with a smirk?!_

Instinctively I pulled out a pokeball and shouted like a maniac.

"Din! _Come on out and protect Wally!_ "

My call rang out and I threw the Pokeball between the weirdly smirking Wally and what I had now identified to be an extremely angry looking Electrike. Landing in less then seconds, a flash caused the wild Pokemon to back up as Whismur emerged from the ball.

However, upon seeing a new target, the Electrike immediately dashed toward Din with the intent to tackle it. Acting fast, I gave a quick battle command.

"Din, use Echoed voice at full power!"

"Whis… _**Murrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!**_ " My Pokemon shouted, bellowing out an attack that would be guaranteed to startle every Pokemon in a kilometre wide radius, and then some besides.

Sound waves made manifest; the attack hit its intended target, taking Electrike off it's feet.

_But not out._

Acting fast, I pulled an empty Pokeball out my pocket and enlarged it. Even before I had the time to do that, Electrike was recovering and readying itself to charge again, this time with sparks flying off its body. I'd have to catch it in a Pokeball to keep Din and Wally safe from it.

"Rwarrrougghhh!" The electric Pokemon howled into the air.

I answered in kind by tossing the Pokeball and surrounding the Pokemon in a red light. Encasing it in a ball, I waited nervously, hoping that it would click; that the lock would latch before the Pokemon could try to do any real damage.

Hoping was all I could do really, but in the end it paid off.

_Wobble. Wobble. Wobble._

_**Click.** _

"Phew…" I sighed, exasperated and annoyed by how sudden that interruption had been.

Quickly, I recalled Whismur and picked up the now caught Electrike. While I put both away in my pocket, my thoughts wandered back to before the battle.

If I hadn't acted fast, then Wally would have been hurt, or worse. It was lucky I was around to intervene. Come to think of it...

_What was Wally trying to do actually?!_

"What the hell was that Wally?! Were you _trying_ to get yourself hurt?! Why weren't you trying to move out of the Arceus-damned way?!" I shouted angrily, momentarily forgetting that I had no real right to be mad at him.

"Oh right..." He began, looking himself over, as if he'd just realised something.

_What on earth is the matter with him? Why is acting so strange?!_

"... I'd almost forgotten which body I was piloting there for a second." The muffin-top finished, a smirk ebbing at the corners of his mouth.

_**Wait, WHAT?!** _

" _Forsythe?! Why the hell are you-?!_ "

Wally, no, Gallade waved his hand and answered, interrupting my next line of questioning.

"My trainer, and more importantly, my friend doesn't want to speak with you right now." He answered calmly.

I only blurted out the first questions that came to mind, since I had quite a lot of them right now and I was too surprised to be subtle about answering them.

"So where the hell _is_ he?! What did you do with him?!" I began, almost manic.

Perhaps it was the sudden interruption of the Pokemon from earlier that still had me somewhat shaky. Or maybe it was the fact that the person I was so worried about having mistreated wasn't even up to the task of literally being himself because of what I had done. My mind flew in several directions, however, the most prominent thought was still ensuring Wally was close by somewhere and safe.

The Pokemon inhabiting Wally's body just chuckled at me.

"For someone who just hurt my trainer so horribly, you seem to care quite a bit about him."

Forsythe had plain just out and said it, leaving me gobsmacked. It stung to hear it like it was being said from an observer's point of view. It made me seem even more vile than I was; more than I felt I already had been.

"I-I… I didn't m-mean to… I wasn't…" I offered, trying to explain.

But nothing came; any excuse I could give would be empty. I broke the law and got Wally in on my lies without his knowledge. I _am_ a guilty party for this deceit, but...

"... _I lied._ " I began through clenched teeth, trying to hold back my tears before they'd even begun to form.

I wasn't going to shout, not this time, as far as my self control would allow, not that I had much of that left. There'd be no point after all, I wasn't even talking to Wally, no matter how much the figure in front of me looked like him.

"You did, and believe me, if it were up to me, you'd be in a great deal of pain right now. _A great deal indeed_." Gallade answered, emphasising his last point, as if to threaten me.

"Would it make him feel better if I was?" I asked, more on instinct than anything else.

_Would any kind of repayment undo what I did?_

"Excuse me?" Forsythe levelled at me incredulously. "Maybe he'd feel better if you didn't do it in the first place! You humans are disgusting; you think you can just hurt others and expect everything to be all right again with a plain apology or personal sacrifice like you're paying a simple debt!"

_No, repayment wouldn't undo it._

I almost choked on his words. Not because they hurt, though they certainly did, but because he was correct. I certainly felt disgusting, and I would most definitely give anything I could to repair the damage I'd done…

_But then…_

"Oh yeah?! And what's so wrong with that huh?! What? Am I not allowed to wish I hadn't done something stupid?!" I started, even against my wishes to shout at the Pokemon using my friend's body.

Immediately I was hit with regret and I hid my face from him. I'd let my selfish desires get in the way of what was really important; what I really should be thinking about.

_Wally._

Gallade looked confused, like I'd said something stupid, but not invalid. Before he could answer any of those questions though, I brought forward the only question I actually cared to have an answer for.

"Where is Wally anyway?! What have you done with him Forsythe?! I-Is he safe?!"

Though I kept my face hidden, my voice crackled in places with audible concern. Even an incompetent emotional read on me would reveal how worried I was starting to become with Wally seemingly out of eyesight and not in his own body.

I was met with silence, though I could tell Forsythe was indeed assessing me. Though that didn't take long thankfully. The Pokemon did answer, but did so with little emotional giveaway.

"He's sleeping in my body, next to one of the trees just behind the treeline at my back."

_So he is nearby and safe as well, thankfully._

Yet, that didn't answer too much else. Though it did reveal just how badly I'd hurt the poor muffin-top.

"He must… He must really hate me now huh?" I asked off-handedly and near silently, feeling the words lodge in my throat like knives.

I didn't really expect an answer. Hell, I expected Wally to hate my guts, answer or not. For once though, my expectations were in fact wrong.

"No. Surprisingly he doesn't hate you." Forsythe answered dead-pan, with slight distaste in his voice.

I looked up in surprise, taken completely off guard with this information.

"H-He doesn't?!"

I didn't care if looking up revealed my expression, or the redness present around my eyes from the strain of holding back the small amount of tears from my earlier outburst. That was information I needed to have clarification on.

"That doesn't mean that he likes you either, or that he trusts you after what you did to him." Gallade added quickly before explaining more. "But I don't lie; I'm not like you after all. Wally doesn't hate you. However, I wouldn't expect anything more from him if I were you."

I sighed. My expectations weren't so lofty that I would have thought that Wally could have forgiven me so easily. Not hating me however, that was a start, a good one, even if Gallade was trying his best to discourage me. It did little to comfort me in the face of hearing another recite my mistakes to me, but I'd take comfort where it could be found right now.

_He doesn't hate me... Thank Arceus…_

Yet, that did leave one last question. An inquiry I probably should have proposed first. Of course, doing so was a little difficult given the interruptions and general direction this… conversation had taken.

"Did Wally swap bodies with you because he doesn't want to talk?" I posed to the slightly annoyed Forsythe.

"Correct again. He told me that he doesn't wish to speak with you at all until we get to Mauville. Since neither he nor I know the way there, and since you are intent on not moving toward that town for a few days minimum, I guess that means you're stuck with me." Gallade said, smirking at the last part.

_Shit._

I'd almost forgotten about that. We couldn't leave the forest for at least a couple of days with the media feeding frenzy going on in Slateport right now. There was a higher risk of being caught out; too much attention and activity in this part of Hoenn. Waiting was definitely our only option. Unfortunately, I wasn't even going to be granted the luxury of justifying myself to Wally. Gallade planned to be here the entire time.

_Not that any of my actions were justifiable at all._

"Don't think for a second that I intend to uphold pleasantries either human. I don't like you or your company." The Pokemon continued, drawing it's line in the sand for the next few days.

_Fine by me._

"As long as Wally is safe…" I muttered under my breath.

Gallade just gave a _hmph_ in return as I moved from where I was standing and over towards our bags. My stomach was growling at me, something I had been ignoring up until this point with all the things I'd had to deal with. Without the distracting questions, or the weight of Wally's hatred on my shoulders, I set about finding my packed food.

If I was going to be stuck with Forsythe in Wally's body for the rest of the day, I'd at least like to do it after having a proper breakfast.

Plus, Maybe if I gave it some food, I could persuade Gallade into getting Wally to speak to me again...

I sighed.

_Then again, probably not._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there readers!
> 
> As you can see, there is much to talk about in this chapter. Lets start with Cynthia.
> 
> Upon realizing that Cynthia could feasibly get good character development from my previous idea, I decided to turn the idea up to 11, and have her main team member also gain potential development from this. I also wanted to show how deep rooted Cynthia's problems are. She is broken at the fundamental level of her character. I can't give away information on what happened in sinnoh, but Cynthia has definitely not come out the other end of those events a better person.
> 
> Still, she's not the only star of her segment, here we finally see Jigokudou. Jigo is a spiritomb, and possesses a type combo that is actually impressive. In this particular timeline/universe, certain types have certain abilities they can use. Ghost types can, logically, possess objects. And dark types control light and shadow to create visual illusions (or just shadows themselves.) Jigo is a special case. Being ghost and dark means he can create these shadows but also possesses them as well. Normally this isn't very powerful, because dividing one's consciousness into parts to control these manifested shadows is difficult and high on mental taxation. Sableye for example wouldn't be able to manage more than three manifested shades at best, even while mega'd. Spiritomb is however made of 108 spirits exactly, and is technically malicious by most pokemon standards.
> 
> Controlling each shade with a single spirit sounded plausible as a power to me, and it allowed spiritomb to have a core identity in Cynthia's team as both the intel gatherer and defensive play maker. Unfortunately, speed is spiritomb's weakness, so while it did very well here, against super fast and strong Pokemon its not liable to do significant damage or even be of much use. Using it to block stationary attacks from all directions though? In that instance its going to do a hell of a lot.
> 
> Also, the pokemon itself is still an enigma, not even nin could know what motivates it to be so ruthless, all for cynthia's sake.
> 
> Speaking of which, I decided we needed a part from nin's perspective, because using certain Pokemon for specific perspectives on other characters was an idea I'd been tossing around, but hadn't used yet. (also notice the subtle change in nin's speech in that part, it might not seem like much, but its actually pretty big.
> 
> Combine that section and the one with Forsythe protecting Wally by fronting in Wally's body and we see a turn around; Pokemon issuing commands to humans as opposed to the other way around. It's not common per say, but I like the current switch in roles for the time being. Plus, the following time where brendan and forsythe have to spend together gives me plenty of room to flesh out forsythe even more as a character, perhaps even allow me to bring in his trade mark dry humour in lighter segments on the horizon.
> 
> Oh yeah, and that statistic archie gives about sharpedo's speed? It's actual canon fact as it happens; sharpedo has a measured speed in the pokedex, and it's crazy fast.
> 
> Anywho, All in all, too much has happened for me to talk about it all, so I'll leave out the shout out section, and some information I'd like to rant about so that I can instead close off the notes before they get mega bloated.
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading, and thank you even more for sticking with me even if the wait has been long. I'm hoping this chapter will bring me back into the swing of things, and even if it doesn't, I will at least be one chapter closer to finishing than I was a couple months ago, which is definitely something to celebrate.
> 
> Anywho, thank you again, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Stay safe and have fun readers!


	34. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there readers! I'm back. This one took a little while because of a few reasons, one of them being positive and the other negative. The negative reason was that my wound got infected, and I had another health scare (at this point im honestly not surprised, but it was hella annoying and potentially dangerous). The second reason is more positive and actually has a lot of significance.
> 
> I was actually busy doing the promo image for loverivalshipping week! That's right readers, a whole week dedicated to our lovable dorks! Unfortunately, I won't really be using this fic to participate in said week, because we have a character arc or two to get through before I can turn the fluff dial back onto full blast again. And those arcs aren't something I can really finish up in a week. So instead I'll be drawing a couple things to celebrate. All of them will be posted to tumblr, and they'll all be loverival themed. Speaking of which actually, I'd really like to see fresh faces contributing to our small but wonderful fandom!
> 
> I'd be delighted if any of you guys could join me in celebrating loverival week with me! It's going from the 8th of August to the 14th!
> 
> Anywho, since I'm a little busy, and since I actually wanted to get this out earlier in the day (things got in my as usual) I'll skip the end notes, at least for now. Enjoy the new chapter my awesome readers!

****The food was mediocre at best. The day had droned on a little, and I was unnerved, mostly because Gallade was here in Wally's body. A fact that was disorientating; I had things I wanted to say to Wally, but I'd been robbed of the opportunity to do so. Not that I deserved said opportunity to begin with, but it was still annoying.

So annoying in fact, I was tempted to not hand Forsythe any of the pre-packaged snacks I had on hand. Spite was tempting in this situation to be sure, but then If I did that, they'd both probably hate me even more than they already do.

"Here." I said with little regard for the Pokemon inhabiting my friends body, giving him a small handful of the snacks.

They weren't anything special, just basic muesli bars and bags of mixed berries.

Originally I'd gotten them all in pecha flavour, not because I liked how sickeningly sweet pecha-based foods are, but because it was Wally's favourite kind of berry. I hadn't expected that I'd be feeding them to his Gallade and not himself. Then again, I also hadn't expected a lot of things to happen last night, so its not like those expectations mattered any.

_Yet it still pisses me off._

"Oh? What's wrong human? Guilt finally caught up to you?" Forsythe jabbed at me with a snicker, taking the food from my hands.

Arceus he was annoying, as if I wasn't already on edge enough!

"No. The only thing that's caught up with me is how much I dislike people taking emotional pot-shots at me." I said, loudly and with enough anger to get my point across.

_Get off my back._

"Forgive me then if I believe that to be a possible lie as well. Someone like you having feelings? That's about as likely as rocks being sentient." Gallade started, chuckling to himself.

The chuckle resonated in me; it had come from Wally's body, but it hadn't come from Wally himself, the dissonance this fact caused only spurred the rage rising in my chest.

"Oh yeah, I totally _don't_ have feelings right? It's not like I just gave you food, or that I've been concerned for Wally this entire time huh?! You're right! Silly fucking me for believing that _I_ of all people could _feel_!" I almost shouted at the Pokemon.

Forsythe just smirked, unperturbed by the menace that could be seen clearly on my face.

"That's the spirit! The first step towards accepting your worthless nature is acknowledgement after all. My, I just didn't think we'd make progress _this_ quickly." Forsythe answered, smiling even wider now.

_He's trying to goad me into saying something horrible. He wants me to fail._

Though I was fully aware of this, I still wanted to throw abuse at him. It might give him what he wanted, but there was no way I was going to let him shit talk me the entire time we were in this forest.

"You listen here you-"

_Footsteps!_

I turned to face the noise, hoping that it wasn't another wild Pokemon ready to ruin my day. Funnily enough, it wasn't my eyes that answered that hope.

"Calm down you fool. That's Wally; he's woken up." Gallade said, his voice lacking all the bite of before.

_That was a quick change of tone._

Forsythe's true body advanced from beyond the treeline; looking at his body's expression was heart breaking. It looked like it had rested horribly; hell, the Wally that I knew was in there and even under the guise of a Pokemon's face I could still see the betrayal in his eyes.

I turned back to Wally's actual body for a moment to find Gallade wearing an expression that was a far cry from his blasted smirk from earlier.

_It's… regret?_

_Where they communicating?_

I couldn't tell if they were, and should they happen to be doing just that then there wouldn't be a way for me to tell what was being said.

After a brief period of silence, and a few shifts in expression on Wa-Gallade's face I could just about say with certainty that there was indeed a conversation going on here. A conversation Forsythe wasn't pleased to be having from the looks of things.

_Did… Did Wally hear what Forsythe had said to me? Was Wally defending me?_

"W-Wally? Are you alright?" I asked instinctively, despite knowing full well he couldn't talk while in a Pokemon's body.

Immediately the Pokemon's body turned its head from us, as if dismissing me and walked towards the pile of snacks I'd left in our bags. Taking a bag of dry Pecha berries, he left, back into the clearing.

Leaving me deflated, but also concerned.

"Is it really ok to let him wander back into the forest? We shoul-"

"He can handle himself." Came the interruption from Forsythe. "He's using my body after all. The only thing he needs right now is a little time; he should be back before long." Gallade continued, his voice flickering in places slightly.

Almost like it was… marred with concern.

"Forsythe…" I began, not really wanting to ask my next question.

Seeing Wally's face again, or rather Wally using Gallade's face, it necessitated it. I hated showing weakness, despised that I needed to rely on the asshole who'd been goading me until now, but what other choice did I really have?

"What do you guys plan to do in Mauville? Is Wally really going to talk to me again?" I asked as sincerely as I could, hoping Forsythe would keep his jabs to himself.

It certainly appeared that he wanted to respond that way, but something was keeping his normal sarcasm in check. Whatever it was, I could only manage to be grateful for it; I didn't particularly feel like questioning Gallades sudden lack of motivation to torment me.

"We haven't decided. We only really have two options as it happens. Either we keep travelling with you or…" Forsythe stopped, deliberately hanging on the words.

"Or?" I responded, the demand for an answer resonating in my eyes.

"... Or we ditch our baggage and leave all our trash in Mauville." Forsythe added on the end, his smirk finally returning.

It felt like I'd been stabbed in the chest.

_Wally is thinking about leaving me behind…_

Without really thinking, my mouth ran further, going through the motions of auto pilot, landing on a sentence I hadn't really thought through, but one that I meant every word of.

"If I left, would he feel better?" I asked, the words haunting me almost immediately after I'd said them.

It sounded like I'd just agreed to have my arms lopped off.

_I'm so goddamned stup-_

"I don't actually know if it would." Forsythe answered, truthfully and with his trademark grin left by the wayside.

_Wait. What?_

That sounded like an entirely serious answer, but if that was the case, what the hell did that even mean? Was he trying to tell me that I'd never make up for my crimes? That leaving wouldn't solve anything? Or that Wally actually still cared enough to not want me to?

" _What do you mean?_ " I inquired, my tone swiftly changing, reflective of my apprehension know the answer conflicting with my morbid curiosity.

"What do I mean indeed…" Gallade answered mockingly, his earlier snark returning in full force. "Well, guess we'll both have to find out, but for now, I'm bored and I don't really feel like sitting around eating food all day." He finished, stretching Wally's arms and legs.

"W-What? What do you mean we'll both find out?! If you know something then tell me-!"

Forsythe looked at me, his mirth filled eyes indicative of his emotional sadism. He was enjoying putting me through the gauntlet; maybe for him, it was retribution.

"Tell you what Human. Let's have a Pokemon battle. If you win, I may just decide to give you hint or two." The human looking Pokemon offered.

Shocked, for a few moments time I could only stare in disbelief. I was being challenged to a Pokemon battle, _by another Pokemon._

"Y-You can't be serious?! You're just a Pokemon! You don't even have any Pokemon of your own to use either! Quit playing around and tel-"

_Interrupted again._

"I am a Pokemon, you're correct. But for right now, I'm also human, and in case you've already forgotten, I have Wally's Pokemon with me since I'm in his body." Gallade began cooly, deflecting my criticisms without missing a beat. "So, you've no reason to refuse. Besides, I've given you a good enough incentive; like I said, you beat me, and maybe I'll tell you a something." He finished, his smile getting cockier by the second.

_That expression doesn't fit, nor belong on Wally's face. It's far too alien._

Though it was unsettling, the idea of getting a better view of how Wally was feeling right now was enticing. Anything that would bring me closer to him again, even if by proxy, would put me more at ease. Not to mention it would make me better equipped to handle the moment when or rather _if_ Wally came around and started speaking with me again.

Tantalized by the offer of possible information, and perhaps by the idea that Gallade was just a Pokemon and would therefore be unable to battle properly anyway, I responded to this request despite myself.

"Fine, and if I lose?" I asked, not that I needed to bother since I wouldn't be losing.

"Well, if you lose, the battle will just be that much more… _entertaining._ Your squashed pride will be reward enough." Forsythe stated confidently, trying to goad me again.

_Except this time, it was a really bad idea._

* * *

 

_That useless good for nothing!-_

"Arceus give me the strength to not kill a man." I whispered under my breath.

Life was already difficult enough; Sure, I loved performing and the money that it brought in, but on this schedule? What did they think I was?! A freaking robot?!

My anger filled eyes bore into the man sitting opposite me. Each twitch of my iris a mental dagger aimed directly for his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch what you just said?" He spoke, seemingly interested in what I had muttered.

I didn't give him the honor of knowing.

" _I said…_ Why on earth are you making me do this many gigs asshole?!" I shouted, vocal with my emotion this time.

The man sitting opposite to me at his desk flinched. He definitely hadn't expected me to jump down his throat immediately. Perhaps that was due to his limited dealings with me; anyone who knew me well enough was aware at just how volatile I could get when provoked. That said, his inexperience was his own doing and he'd get no sympathy from me.

It's not my fault people only ever had eyes for my brother's talents.

"M-Miss Yuuki, please, let's discuss this like adults. Your brother is gone and all his appearances will be canceled because of it! We need you t-"

" _ **Fuck off!**_ What, so I only exist when he's gone?! Do I look like some run of the mill replacement to you? I'm the second most famous idol in Hoenn!" I shouted angrily, cutting him off, slamming the palm of my hand onto his desk hard enough to cause an audible 'thwak'.

"I hate to break it to you pally…" I continued, menacingly scowling at him the whole time. "But I'm my own person, and I'm not going to destroy my entire personal life just because you lazy shits didn't have a backup plan ready for when Brendan finally got enough of you!"

Despite my outburst, the man in question had yet to rouse enough willpower to contest my view. Not only was he useless agent, he was also a coward.

_Honestly, if he thinks I'm going to just-_

_Wait._

A villainous smile crossed my lips, a smile that tugged at both ends of my mouth as an idea, a terrifyingly vindictive notion came into my head. It was petty, it would cause more grief for my agent, and maybe even mom. That said, I was in legal standing to do it too.

"Y'know what Terry?" I asked the man mockingly, his expression indicating his confusion at my change of tone.

"W-What?" Terry responded, still unsure of his verbal footing.

_Good._

"I'll do it." I told him bluntly, with a smile that could be mistaken for a murder weapon.

"Really?!"

_Well he sounds relieved, heh._

"... Next month." I continued, adding an emphasis to my words this time.

For his part, Terry almost did a double take, like what he'd heard didn't make sense. Unfortunately for him, the whole thing logically followed.

" _What?! What do you mean next month?!_ " He asked incredulously.

"Exactly what I said Terry. Remember those months of paid leave I have saved up from my contract? You know, the ones that I never took because my schedule never got bad enough?" I asked him, maintaining my deadly grin.

"Y-You can't take leave now! I would never approve tha-"

"I don't need your approval. Well, morally anyway. It's simple Terry, you let me have the month off and stop treating me like a cure-all for Brendan leaving. _Or…_ "

I made sure to put great emphasis on this next bit to really hammer home my point. My agent had no power over me here, and he would come to see it.

"... Or I walk, and find a new manager."

The expression on his face was almost worth putting up with overworking myself since Brendan left. _Almost._

"Y-Y-You'd j-just quit?! _Just like that?! What about Cassandra, your mother is going to be livid!_ "

Ohohoho. Straight to the mother card huh? Of course he'd use that, he'd been using it on Brendan for so long too. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't anything like my brother. Unlike him, I actually like performing, and I'm certainly not on mother's bad side.

"She'll be annoyed, I'll give you that. But she knows that I don't take holidays, and more to the point, my mother is influential enough that I could find a new agent easily if you don't think I'm worth the trouble. I mean really, just think about all those money hungry entertainment businesses with an eye on my family's name? Do you really think I'd be out of work long?" I asked coyly.

It was true; corporations in Hoenn would kill for endorsement from a idol of the yuuki line. My mother still gets contracts to this day to perform at events, she even has the luxury of turning half of them down because of her having ample choice.

In anycase, when faced with this information my agent couldn't bring himself to speak. Silently contemplating what I had said, I could tell he'd had enough of me. He'd probably had enough of my family to last a lifetime, but I sure as hell wasn't about to give him sympathy, not with my personal freedom being brought down to nothing by all these frequent performances.

" _Fine._ " He spoke up, his voice finally gaining some semblance of determination behind it.

"Oh? Finally got it through that thick skull of yours Terry?" I asked him, my face settling back into a serious expression.

" _But you're going to sign for your next scheduled performances after your leave is up. I'm not going to have you screw me over twice, May._ " He finished, his voice containing only hints of his previous unease.

_Dammit._

Well, a holiday was a good enough concession. Victory was had, and my agent actually managed to show some kind of spine. I supposed it was progress, even if I had to sign a few papers for it.

"Sure, I'll agree to that, as long as it's not slave labour I'm signing up for. Because if it is, you and I will have another… problem, to work out, won't we Terry?" I proposed almost malevolently, enough so that my agent showed brief, yet quantifiable signs of his cowardice.

Honestly, the kinds of people I had to put up with. Terry was probably used to getting his way all the time the way he acted. No wonder he didn't have the courage to deal with my temper. Then again, few people had that kind of bravery.

He just stared at me the whole time, as if trying to evaluate how he should respond; he'd probably never get used to dealing with me.

"Hopefully that won't happen." He answered with a wavering firmness.

_Hopefully indeed._

No wonder Brendan left, dealing with this idiot and mother at the same time would be quite exhausting, even if my brother had liked contests like me, it would certainly be taxing without any of my determination to deal with it. Even for me, a holiday, however short, would be perfect right about now.

_But maybe it was perfect because I wasn't doing it for just me, but also to spite Terry in the process?_

_**Probably.** _

* * *

 

Our makeshift base; the local police precinct, it had been cold that night. _Last night._

_What a mess that was_.

The scenes replayed in my head as I lay in my bed, the gentle mid-day sun reminding me of the need to get up in short order for the day. A need that, while requiring seeing to, was not so pressing that I didn't have time to think about yesterday first.

In essence, something really big, and really fucking _bad_ happened, and I wasn't just saying that because I lost track of the Aqua leader either. Though in fairness to myself, I couldn't deny that was a core reason for me being in an incredibly foul mood, that said, it had little bearing on an incident which had occurred unbeknownst to myself during said chase.

An incident that I had too few details on, save the mad ravings of a captive so intent on resisting arrest I honestly thought she was going to tear her own arms off.

It caused a stir at our temporary ops centre to be sure. Cynthia brought her; Shelly, kicking and screaming no less, right to our doorstep in the middle of the night, a little bit after our mission was informally concluded. I had arrived back first of course, despondent and aggravated. Losing was never something I took well, especially when my pride and my region's safety were on the line.

New information was gleaned from my encounter to be sure, I had names and faces; a clear picture of a once invisible enemy. Yet, I'd come home empty handed in the end, with no information of any real consequence whatsoever.

_Which is always the cue for the Black Contessa to swoop in and make me look the fool._

Except swooping wasn't the word for it.

Cynthia would have normally had a shouting match with me, even more so with her seemingly unpredictable temper picking up as of late. However, when she came through the front door to our ramshackle HQ in the local precinct, I didn't hear a single word.

I would have attributed it to her guest, the Aqua member she'd brought us, and her mad screaming about dying Pokemon and 'this homicidal bitch!', but Cynthia wasted no time at all put her in a secure cell down the hall, out of earshot of anyone else, and locked the door to the block behind her.

This too would be normal behaviour admittedly; Cynthia didn't care for suspects or witnesses words until it came time for testimony or interrogation, whether informal or not. Screaming like a banshee was couldn't qualify as any good information under either of those concepts.

So in theory, Cynthia's lack of shouting on her own to me should have been nothing more than a simple mood swing on her part. A theory like that however? It held little water; it was one thing for Cynthia to treat me like I wasn't worth the effort of being shouted at, but to not even bother to brief me on the events of her mission? The circumstances under which she bested me by seizing a captive member of a terrorist organisation for interrogation? Cynthia always did things by the books. _Always._ A brief after every assignment was one of the first procedures even rookies go through. Verbal, or paper-trail, there was always a brief before and after a mission was done.

_Something was up._

Captives don't just turn up screaming nonsense and looking frightened beyond measure, and Cynthia certainly didn't flout procedure, even if it was still an informal operation until we made it back to our HQ in Rustboro.

Every one of my men didn't have the position, nor the bravery to call her out, and I myself had little interest in causing a scene either way. So I decided to get the brief out of her by myself, I needed to know what happened after all.

Giving her little explanation, I asked her to come into the meeting room with me by herself, hoping that whatever she had to say to me was just being held back in good conscience for the benefit of our team's morale.

Yet when I asked, she just looked up at me defeated, unwilling, _exhausted._

I paid it little mind and signalled to the meeting room regardless, and was grateful that I heard the tapping of her heels behind me. Cynthia was indeed following me, and my request, despite everything in her expression from before screaming that she'd do otherwise.

_I don't like this._

It was too compliant. Far too easy. No yelling, no snide remarks, and no boastful briefing in front of my whole crew. Cynthia was withdrawn, and despite my anger at her, at everything really, I had to find out why.

I recalled our conversation in that meeting room vividly, despite being exhausted myself at the time. Though it had only occurred a mere couple of hours ago, and even though I'd had time to rest in between, to absorb the information presented to me, it still weighed heavily on me.

_Cynthia's cracking_.

I continued to turn in my bed trying to find comfort, the one in the hotel room both I and Cynthia booked and contemplated that thought. She neglected to join me, and elected to sleep at the precinct even, on the pretence that she was 'waiting for someone to come back to her' that night.

After hearing about some of what happened from her own lips, it became very clear that Cynthia was far more damaged that her past post-mission psyche evaluations would suggest. She was always pegged as aggressive, perhaps even _too_ driven.

But she never employed lethal force. _Well, almost never._ I'd only ever heard of her being this manic once before, and it was terrifying to think she was even capable of doing it.

It was on my first real mission.

Charon actually eluded us both at separate points in that mission, but it was my slip up that let him get away for good. That said, Cynthia had been reported to have torn down almost half a kilometres worth of forest with all six of her Pokemon just looking for Charon as he fled. She lost the scent eventually; Charon was just too crafty, but the level of destruction and collateral damage she caused to the area just looking for him?

Excessive didn't even begin to cover it. She had an obsession with bringing that man to justice, and part of me believed that Cynthia's version of 'justice' for him wouldn't exactly be sanctioned by a court of law, nor condoned as a rational decision by any Interpol psychologist, let alone anyone else. In my younger days I put it off as a misguided passion for her drive towards perfection in her work. Now though? After finding out about some of the things Charon was responsible for, and how deep Cynthia's feelings against him ran, I couldn't overlook it. Beforehand her anger was seemingly impassioned but not deadly, yesterday night however had been entirely different.

_For her to turn that anger towards someone else, even that briefly? To almost kill another person's Pokemon?!_

She was damned lucky I hadn't kicked off the mission on the fucking spot!

Lack of trained agents, and Cynthia's own reluctant, and seemingly out of character honesty with me was the only thing that saved her from being sent packing entirely. Had I found out from her victim, even if that victim was Aqua, she would be in a much more precarious position.

But that did leave me with a problem.

_What do I do with her now?_

"Uggh…" I grunted as I rolled over in bed, trying to summon the will to get up to face the now afternoon soon clearly trying to rip a path through the rooms curtains and into my eyes.

Yet none of that will came, and I could only think of Cynthia and what she did; what she was _going_ to end up doing.

_I need to speak with her again._

More than anything, I needed to make absolutely sure she wouldn't be a detriment to the team, and she was treading incredibly thin ice. Hell, if it wasn't for final acts of restraint that night, she could have very well been charged with assault via Pokemon for attacking another human being, if not being charged with god damned homicide.

I'd have to get a psych in to evaluate her again too; the risk of her going off the deep end was too pronounced at this point. I didn't want her off the team, if only because it meant losing another able body, but if she showed signs of that kind of hatred manifesting again then I couldn't risk it.

"Fuck it." I uttered aloud in frustration as I hoped out of bed, accepting my fate. "May as well start talking now." I finished with a sigh.

_It's been long overdue anyway._

Picking up the Pokenav at my bedside, I keyed in Cynthia's number.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

_Ring. Ri- Click._

"Hello? Cynthia?" I spoke, still expecting her yelling despite her emotionally drained state.

"Hello." Came the reply.

It was curt, near emotionless. Cynthia sounded like she wasn't even there.

"I want to speak with you about the mission and… some other things. Could you come by our hotel room in about an hour?" I said.

It was framed like a request, but in actual fact, it was more akin to a test. If Cynthia refused, it would be a very big warning sign, a sign that may not be conclusive on its own, but would certainly alert me to the fact that she was too unstable to even speak with her colleagues about mission details. Considering what had happened, that would cast a lot of doubt on her trustworthiness.

_Not that there isn't a lot of that already._

I was met with silence, I couldn't hear a thing coming through the line.

"Cynthia?" I intoned again, slightly more firm this time than the last.

"... Fine."

She agreed, though whatever emotion preceded that agreement, I couldn't pin down-

_Click._

She'd hung up after that too… I sighed.

_Yesterday was awful, but I get the feeling today is going to be slightly more difficult still._

* * *

 

_Finally_.

I'd be allowed a way to get back at Forsythe, but also a chance at finding out what Wally was thinking.

Here in this clearing, in the middle of the forest, surrounding by trees and the warmth of the mid-day sunlight. Here was where I'd get back at Gallade, and hopefully gain insight into my friend's emotional state.

I clutched the Pokeball in my hand tightly. It was my most recent edition, and probably wouldn't start the battle well, but I needed a scout Pokemon for the first rounds of the fight. Of all Wally's roster, his scariest Pokemon that wasn't Forsythe was Anastasia the Drifloon.

A ghost type, something that Din couldn't deal with, and using Flygon too early was too bold a move, even if it was likely to win on its own. That information was something I wanted more than any badge, if it meant playing this battle tactfully for maximum win potential, then that's what I was going to do.

"I hope your ready!" I shouted to my opponent as I enlarged the Pokeball.

The Pokemon inhabiting my friends body chuckled at me at first, taking in my serious expression with nothing more than a smirk and barely audible laughter.

"I'm _always_ ready human." He responded coolly, pushing Wally's hair back a little to get a better look at the area.

"Good, I'll start then." I answered just as calmly, throwing the ball not long after.

A light flashed, the Electrike emerged. In it's confusion, it turned to me, and registered that I was indeed holding it's Pokeball. We'd yet to form a working partnership, but the battlefield would be a great place to start.

"You chose _that_ Pokemon? What, are the rest not good enough?" Gallade spoke, trying to get under my skin again.

"Actually, I think _Current_ here is more than a match for a novice like you, he certainly would have made a mess of you earlier had I not jumped in." I answered back, my own smirk quite visible as I nodded towards my Pokemon.

It seemed to acknowledge that I had confidence in it, and though it certainly wasn't thrilled with the prospect of battling for me, it did seem a little bit more eager for it than some of the Pokemon I'd previously caught in my lifetime.

_Maybe it want's to take out it's anger on someone._

"You even named it? Hahaha hah! Well, this _will_ be interesting indeed. I look forward to dismantling that confidence piece by piece!" Forsythe shouted enthusiastically, pulling a Pokeball from his pocket, enlarging and throwing it in a motion so fluid it almost seemed like he'd done this before.

_Almost._

Another flash of light erupted, and true enough, Forsythe had also opted to go for his least powerful option first.

Emerging from the ball was none other than Xavier. Or rather, the cocooned form of Xavier.

_He brought out cascoon first?! It can barely move, how on earth did he plan to do anything?!_

"You better not be playing around! I know you only have two Pokemon, but Cascoon going first?!" I asked, a little incredulously.

"Me? Play around? Oh I'll have my fun mr. liar, I'll give you that, but I _am_ taking this seriously. Infact, I'm taking it so seriously, I'm not even going to make the first move." Forsythe said coyly, his smirk widening.

_Fine; he wants to be his usual self? All the better when I beat him in a battle!_

"Fine by me." I stated coolly. "I hope you know I won't be going easy on you just because your Wally's Pokemon." I finished, confidence building, focus tightening.

"Oh believe me, I wouldn't have it _any_ other way. Show me what you've got human, let's see if your actually worth something after all." Forsythe responded, not skipping a beat at all.

_Good. This will be more satisfying that way._

With the stage set, and both of us at each other's metaphorical throats, it was time to earn the information I was so desperate to obtain.

"All right Electrike, let's open this battle with a plain tackle!" I ordered my Pokemon.

It was hesitant, but complied, focusing in on it's target and running at full speed towards it.

_Victory goes to those who take the initiative and attack, and I had every intention of being the winner here._

_Anything it would take to repair my friendship with wally. Anything that could help me get closer to him again._ _**Anything at all.** _ _I'd do it._


	35. Scheming, tea, and good ol' conflict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy everyone! I'm sorry it's been a while. 2016 was... just a terrible year really. Worse still, I felt like the quality of my work just wasn't up to snuff, even with chapters I'd released just before that year. With that said, it won't get better if I don't make more of it, so here I am, back with another chapter, with hopefully more to follow. However, please keep in mind I won't follow a strict deadline for these anymore like I used to. If I am to keep my creative muse, its probably best not to regiment it too heavily.
> 
> With all that personal baloney out of the way though, I'm sure everyone's been waiting long enough, way too long in fact, for this one, so I'll let you all get to the story now. Have fun readers!

A tackle was what that tactless liar had decided upon using. A weak move, but ultimately the only move Electrike's trainer was likely aware of. He had only just captured it after all. Not that it was a bad choice either, given Cascoon's obvious lack of mobility; _too obvious_.

Using a long range Pokemon would have ensured a smooth first round, but Ruby, or Brendan, or whatever his next stupid name will be was in for a shock. Sticking to his weakest option so conservatively would change nothing; charging directly at me just ensured he would enter Cascoon's attack range, I merely had to wait.

Granted, giving commands or information via words was still very much an alien concept for a telepath like me, but then I could still time everything perfectly anyway. More to the point, I wouldn't allow this unease or inexperience to show either. Doubting one's movements or ability was the quickest way to defeat, better to be overconfident than lack any confidence at all.

_The tackle is about to connect!._

Or in other words: _Hesitation is the quickest path to defeat._

Electrike finally leapt forward, preparing to connect with Xavier head on, but this exactly where Xavier needed him to be. While in the air he was basically unable to alter his course and thus dodge retaliation.

_The mid point is what we ne-_

" **Now Xavier, tackle Electrike's underbelly!** " I shouted quickly at Wally's pokemon.

Naturally I made sure to compensate for its reaction time too, though I might have been slightly off in timing admittedly. Nonetheless, Cascoon took the order and immediately jumped with full force towards Electrike's underside as it travelled mid air towards Xavier.

_Thwak!_

The impact echoed, and I could see that in my slightly off timing that Cascoon had instead hit Electrike's lower neck.

_Tch, too early._

_Ah well._

As Electrike went flying, I looked back towards my opponent and smirked.

What greeted my eyes only made my condescending smile widen. Brendan was mortified.

His expression switched as Electrike hit the ground, but eased when it got up shakily. Probably still exhausted from that last run in with his trainer. Poor thing; it didn't need to fight this battle either, especially when my goal was to bring out Flygon. I expected him to bring it out first in his lust for new information; new ways to potentially hurt my trainer. It was surprising that he'd show mindful restraint, but then if he was really as smart as he played himself up to be, he wouldn't have underestimated me.

For it's part in the whole affair, Electrike took one look back at its trainer and huffed, turning its back on me and Xavier in the process as it walked away and lay down on the sideline of our makeshift 'arena'.

I laughed.

_It's what you get for not taking me seriously idiot._

"What's wrong human? Cascoon got your tongue?" I joked sarcastically.

Brendan looked like he was about to get mad, maybe even yell at his Pokemon, and if he did that, I'd only have more of the information I was looking for from this battle. Yet, as if to defy my unspoken expectation again, his expression only steeled further. He didn't recall the resting Electrike, or even regard my remark.

Without missing a beat, he just pulled out another Pokeball.

"You're a lot better than I thought you'd be at this. I shouldn't have played the slow hand this time, I'll admit that." He said, looking down at his pokeball.

_Acknowledgement?_

A rare thing considering who was giving it.

"But." He continued, looking up at me once more with a slight anger in his eyes. "I have to win this one. Wally is too important for me to just stop trying. So even if you hate me, and even if _wally_ hates me, I still want to do right by him." He finished, an odd determination in his eyes.

Where did all the bravado and confidence come from? Whatever the case, it didn't change the facts.

"Oh? Tell me, was lying to him 'doing right' as well? Or is that something you'd rather strike from the history books?" I asked scathingly.

The sentence was laced with hatred. He had betrayed Wally; Brendan hurt him despite my trainer's trust in him. However, it served a double purpose. As much catharsis as an actual question, because the answer to it was what I was searching for in this battle, or rather an answer to a different but similar question.

_Is the emphatic admiration for my trainer that I thought I had sensed in him an elaborate lie as well? Was I wrong?_

While I was not normally wrong, given my precision with my abilities, it was possible that I was, especially since I had sensed something else in that boy, something truer than any other emotion he gave off. People had managed to fool me before, even being a rare occurrence, if only by hiding what they truly felt beneath other feelings they had.

I needed to be sure.

Not so much for Wally's peace, but my own; for me to be happy with whatever decision Wally could make. Words from his mouth were one thing, my senses where another, but I needed confirmation from someone, or _something_ else. I needed to know that a person or pokemon other than himself believed Brendan to be a caring or mindful person.

So far, with what had transpired recently, the prognosis for such a condition was grim

"I've already said it wasn't right! I fucking know it wasn't! I _do_ wish I hadn't lied to begin with!" He answered angrily, holding the Pokeball tightly in his hand.

"So you _do_ wish Wally had never found out then?!" I responded in kind, trying to draw more information out of him.

_Say it. Admit that you don't give half a damn about my trainer._

My opponent went silent. Dead silent. Still clutching his Pokeball, he avoided my gaze for a split second before returning it with renewed determination.

"No. This… He had to find out about this someway… I wish it was in the beginning, _it should have been in the beginning…_ But I can't change that now can I?! He should have known far sooner but I let him down, but you know what? I'm still going to do my best to make up for it, and I'm going to start by winning that information off you!"

_Where on earth was all this resolve coming from?!_

Brendan was a scumbag, a lying piece of Ryhorn dung for all intents and purposes, but was this actual genuine remorse I was hearing? Did he actually, truly love my trainer despite putting him through that betrayal?!

_No, I need more information, I need someone who's been close to this brat for a long time to know what's really beneath the surface, someone other than Wally._

Was the empathy I felt from him care for Wally or something else entirely? I needed to know; I had assumed so from the beginning due to his neutrality. I felt his anxiety too and other things besides being that I was a Gallade at the time. I even told Wally this.

' _Let me tell you, the only emotion that Brendan has that is stronger than his anxiety is admiration, and well, love'_

These words were true of course, as far as my senses could tell me. Yet that didn't mean that my senses were foolproof, or that Wally wouldn't get hurt again if he put up with being around this waste of air. There was one more emotion I'd sense from this boy, something more intense than all the others, and running much deeper. It was anger, and the fact that despite its intensity, it was only just barely perceivable, even for me, led me to believe that I could have possibly been in error.

_Was I wrong? How much was there really to understand about this kid? Are the surface emotions just a cover for something else?_

I couldn't help form a visible scowl in annoyance at how little I knew about this useless excuse for a human being

"Hmph. Then stop running your mouth already and do it, if you even can of course." I returned, regaining my metaphorical higher footing.

Best to keep on the snark for now until either he snaps and I learn the truth, or his pokemon _tell_ me the truth. Because what he couldn't know is that even as a human, I can definitely understand what his Pokemon say. I need only be around to ask them and hear them answer.

_So call it out, call out your next Pokemon Brendan._

_**It will be the judge of your character.** _

"I will do it, you can believe me on that Forsythe." The idiot began in a somewhat deadly tone.

_I must have struck his nerves._

No matter. If he was foolish and brought out Din, I would only switch into Anastasia. Either way, Flygon would be brought out eventually and I would have the answers I was looking for.

For a second it seemed he was deciding, and almost looked like he had, but then he took one last glance at me, as if to size me and Cascoon up. Whatever he had seen, it caused a change of heart, and he immediately grabbed the other ball.

For a moment, I was almost intimidated by the intent in his eyes, but that was about the only thing to give me hope for him as a person. Determination really was his only redeemable quality at this point.

"I know you well enough by now to know you don't hold back. I won't make the mistake of underestimating you twice Forsythe!" He finished, declaring his intent boldly before throwing the ball in his hand.

The moment of it's landing was near immediate, but also brief; a cry stung the tense air between us as a cloud of dirt was pulled up, a large green Pokemon intermingled in the small clouds of the dust it caused had emerged.

Flitter was finally let out.

It hovered in the air slightly before landing on the grass, planting it's feet firmly on terra-firma. It's stare boring right through me and Cascoon.

_Is it always so eager to jump into a fight? What could make a Pokemon this scrappy looking?_

"Well, I'm glad you've at least learned something. I was beginning to lose what little hope I had left for you." I countered, unfazed by his sudden determination.

Well, that wasn't entirely true; Brendan had actually managed to keep that hope somewhat afloat with the way he was acting. Had he been nonchalant about this whole thing, I would have torn him up in this forest and left him for dead long ago.

"I have learned more than that, but I'll let Flitter do the talking this time. Flitter start off wit-"

" _ **Ohohoho!**_ _Fitting choice of words human_." I answered quickly, cutting him off to both his surprise and annoyance.

"Flitter will indeed do the talking." I added, beginning to walk forward onto the battlefield.

"W-what are you doing!" Brendan responded, perplexed no doubt.

That is, if the look of confusion on his face was anything to go by.

"So tell me Flitter. Is this scumbag trainer of yours really worth the effort? Why do you follow the orders of someone who lacks basic empathy?" I began, trying to sound as direct and malicious as possible.

A truthful, emotional response. That was the only thing I would accept.

"What the fuck are you talking about Forsythe?! Back the hell away from-"

" **I've heard enough from you, I want to hear from your pokemon.** " I shouted back, interrupting him again.

The Flygon at first had regarded me with confusion, not understanding my entry into the battlefield, nor the intent of my words. Yet my threatening tone for its trainer and the enforced anger behind my question must have roused it. Why else would it turn it's menacing gaze so squarely upon me and begin fanning its wings rapidly.

_Good. I've got your attention, now answer._

As if to follow that mental command, Flygon cried out at me; rage clearly audible in it's voice.

**[Insult my trainer again and see what happens human!]**

Indignation? A response fitting attachment to be sure, but… to be so strong? More than worthy? Why would this pokemon regard such a lowlife with respect of this calibre? It certainly appeared sincere; I didn't detect a hint of mistruth in its cries.

As I thought on the matter further, Brendan could only look on, dumbfounded. He certainly hadn't expected me to strike up a conversation with his pokemon, let alone one I could understand.

"Forgive me for provoking you, friend. But I must know why it is you follow him so intently; he has hurt someone very close to me and I just have to know who he really is behind the facade he puts up." I returned, adjusting my tone to be more respectful with regards to this new information.

[You truly do understand what I'm saying?] The Flygon responded, still mildly upset but now more curious than before.

"Forsythe what are you doing asking things like that?! You actually _understand_ my Pokemon?!" Brendan began incredulously.

Clearly he was about to break into a tirade, and I didn't have time to waste explaining to him the point of this battle. Obviously one half was me gaining catharsis at his expense in a showy fashion, and the other was information gathering. He would just have to figure that out on his own after the fact.

"Hush. I have things I need clarifying. Keep quiet and maybe I'll throw in more information later. Anyway, yes Flitter, I can understand what you're saying. Now would you be so kind as to tell me the answers to my questions. Specifically why you seem to admire him so." I told them both.

Brendan didn't seem happy with this question, but before he could speak up again, Flygon gave me an answer. It's cries more stable and thorough this time.

[I admire my trainer because he saved me! That woman wanted to be rid of me after what happened to… my previous trainer…]

It paused, seemingly recalling something; from what I could gather the memory was painful. For the moment, it's gaze was glassy; unfocused.

_A past event involving being rescued? By that asshole?_

The thought seemed alien. Nevertheless, it left me intrigued, and it certainly boded well for the hope that Brendan might be even a remotely decent person after all.

[...Brendan has kept me safe for years; he's a guardian and a friend to me! I don't care what you have to say about him or anything he did. You've absolutely no right to belittle my trainer like that!]

The green dragon pokemon flapped its wings in a small show of intimidation and menace. The message was clear: As far as Flitter was concerned, Brendan was knight of honor more than he was some lying, snot-nosed piece of garbage.

"My apologies friend, I merely had doubts I wished to clear. Fortunately, you have managed to provide some reassurance, even if it was not the kind I was looking fo-"

Brendan interrupted that sentence in disbelief and what seemed like panic.

" _What the hell did you learn? What did flitter tell you?!_ "

I looked at him, with a grin, before calling back Xavier into his ball; the end of this battle had been reached.

" **What are you doing?! You promised me information, you can't jus-** "

"Need I remind you that I keep my word? You'll get your information, in fact, I'll give it to you right now, since I've already gotten what I wanted." I responded curtly.

A deal was a deal; unlike some other, less reputable pokemon and _people_ , I didn't lie.

Brendan just looked at me like I'd smacked him in the face, but that look didn't last long. For the first time that day, genuine relief, perhaps even happiness, appeared on that ugly face of his.

It was enough to make my stomach turn.

* * *

"May, darling, was now really the best timing? Given that your brother is going through his rebellious phase at the moment?"

'Phase' was one way to put it. Life long obsession was more accurate, but I wouldn't dream of correcting my mother. I'd need to be on her good side to ensure a nice getaway for a while.

"I was worried about that too mom but, well, they have been working me to the bone lately. Burning out my passion for contests just because my brother can't handle doing his job just felt… unfair." I said, calmly looking back at my mother from across our dining table.

Made of a rich stained but treated wood, the surface of the thing was sturdy and rustic, unlike the room around it, which had all manner of trinkets and a washed out palette of colours to go with it. Anybody could tell this plain looking table used to be dad's.

My mother merely adopted here imposing posture and sat forward, hands folded on top of the sturdy wooden table we shared.

"I see…" She began, as if she was mulling over something.

Mother was always in my favour. I did my job, and did it well; Brendan was more popular in the contest scene, but I was the model performer, and the model child. In saying all that, maybe it was a bit much of me to expect her to let this happen after all. Granted, I didn't even think all that hard when I made the decision; I was getting revenge on that stupid agent, Terry, at the time.

"And you're telling me you intend to just have a vacation? Travel only? What about the paparazzi darling? They'd notice your absence, and the minute they find you…"

That point… was better than I would have liked to admit.

I could spite Terry, I could throw my anger around, hell, I could even go rogue like Brendan did, but the media and its journalists were one thing I couldn't control. They'd notice mere days after I stopped performing, and worse still, if they found me, I'd have to put up with them ruining my whole holiday.

_Still, all was not lost, especially not before 'all' had begun._

"I do just want to travel mother; more than that even, I want a short break. As for the tabloids… Well, I figure the easiest way around that is for me to just go incognito in a disguise or something? Maybe we could even tell them that I was resting here at home the entire time…" I proposed, pondering openly.

"May, I hardly think that-" My mother began in a tone that deflated my optimism. Only to do a complete 180. "Actually my dear, while I'm not fond of you leaving, this might be a good idea. A young girl does need her rest after all."

There was something insincere about that statement that made me want to flinch, though I resisted the urge to do so. Another reason had to be present for her to want to change her mind like that. It sounded like she didn't want me going at all to begin with. Still, best not to look a gift girafarig in the second mouth.

"So I can go?" I asked, trying my damnedest to sound more hopeful than I felt.

My mother pondered for a brief moment, before a smile came across her face. An odd smile that made me nervous.

"Yes. However, I must insist that you disguise yourself like you said earlier. It'd be nice if I could keep the press fallout from happening after all, and who knows? Perhaps even your brother will be back in time to welcome you home…" she finished, grin only growing that extra bit wider.

Still, I doubted Brendan would be back before then. My gut feeling told me he was waiting it out in hiding somewhere until he was eighteen, and therefore legally able to refuse signing a contract without mother contradicting him. That said, it hardly mattered, and further still, I couldn't really care.

My freedom and my vacation were the highlight here, even if I had to do it in disguise.

"Yes!" I shouted happily. "Thanks mom! I'll go get packing right now!" I exclaimed, equally as loud as i got out of my chair and raced to the other side of the table.

I hugged mother tightly to thank her for letting me go, in response, she too embraced my briefly. However, before letting me go entirely, she said one more thing.

"May, darling, I'm all for letting you go, but you have to promise me something, something very important." She said deadpan, entirely serious without a hint of her usual kindness.

_Oh yeah. The golden rule._

"I promise I won't battle anyone!" I said, answering her demand before it was even said. "I'll just take Surya with me to keep me safe in case something happens, but I swear I won't battle anyone!" I added, making sure to appease the idea that I might need a Pokemon at least for safety.

She looked me in the eye, as if to assess just how much meaning I had put into those words; mother was adamant about me being safe after all.

It didn't take more than a second, but she broke our contact and let me go, satisfied that I had given her the answer she wanted.

"Very well then, make sure to spoil yourself while you're out dear; make the holiday worth the effort after all. I'll stay here and manage the press."

"I will mom, don't worry!" I beamed, making a dart for my room down the hall from the table we were sitting at.

_To think that I was lucky enough to not even have to try and persuade her. Arceus be damned, I was really lucky lately!_

* * *

_How unlucky am I? I mean really? Who doesn't stock tea?_

I'd gone out to grab a small box of teabags, since the hotel room, for whatever reason, was lacking. A warm drink and a relaxed atmosphere would be needed, or so I presumed given just how off-kilter Cynthia's stability seemed to be. Though I was the one who had instigated the meeting, I was confident I would return on time, and even if I didn't, Cynthia had her own key to the place.

Needless to say, that wouldn't be necessary anyway. The trip was quick, about 25 minutes or so, which left me with plenty of time upon arriving back at the hotel. A small victory perhaps, in the wake of so many defeats, was the reason for my ability to maintain a steady mood, even this early in the day.

As I walked into the hotel and past the first hallway, I contemplated the events that had transpired recently. Honestly, given how bad my losses had been, it was miracle that I wasn't shouting my frustration at the top of my lungs.

_But then is it such a miracle really? If responsibility and necessity are the reasons for it, it can hardly be a miracle._

Yes, necessity. Cynthia and I needed to have a little chat, and I needed to be as open and level headed as possible, even if I wanted to yell at her for the damage she could have done, I needed to find out why she'd managed to swerve so drastically like that to begin with. More to the point, I was short on help, and I needed to be sure that she was still fit to be on the team, regardless of whether or not every emotional fibre in my being said to cut her out entirely.

As I neared the door to our suite, I pulled out my keys from the pockets on my civilian disguise clothes. I'd been very deep in thought about all this, but now was the time to discuss it al-

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

_**What?** _

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

_**Who on earth was calling me?** _

I thought incredulously, pulling out my pokenav from my other pocket angrily.

Really, who could possibly need me this early in the morning? At such an annoying time lik-

**Holy fuck no.**

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

The caller ID made me go pale. That was the _last_ person I needed to speak to right now. Why on earth would she call me anyway, I still had plenty of ti-

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

She wasn't letting up. At all.

Begrudgingly, I put the nav's speaker up next to my ear and clicked the answer button.

"Cassandra, now is not the tim-" I began, only to be interrupted shortly after.

"It is _always_ the time when I'm involved, _dear_." She spoke menacingly, but laced it with sweetness.

_This isn't going to be a check up call is it?_

"It's been three weeks, champion. I thought it best to check in with you, so I can find out for myself why it has taken you this long to do a grand total of sweet _fuck all_ to find my son." She continued, malice rising in her tone.

Though her words were coated in poison, and the metaphorical guillotine hung over my head ominously, I couldn't let her shake me. Standing firm was my only option, I had far too many things to deal with after all.

"Maybe it looks like nothing to you Cassie, but that's because I can't stand talking with you. I've done plenty, I've even managed to pin down what his disguise looks like." I answered angrily, making my mild defiance as known as I could without risking dropping said guillotine.

I was met with a brief silence.

"Oh?" Was the coy reply to break the reprieve. "So you have done _something_ at least. That's excellent, I'm glad to hear that you are treating my son as your number one priority right no-"

_No. We aren't doing this. Not right now._

"Your son is not number one Cassandra. I'm sure you've seen the slateport news by now? I have my hands full dealing with national terrorists, which is why I haven't caught him yet. But hey, don't you worry that pretty little head of yours, because I would have taken him back to you by now if I didn't have my own responsibilities to deal with!" I finished angrily.

Surely even that woman wasn't so dense as to think I was going to treat her bastard child as a priority above the region?!

"Well that's unfortunate. I had hoped you would be more spirited in your work. Ah well, I suppose the media will understand your lack of devotion when I give them evidence of your depravity with that sick individual you call a partn-"

" _ **Don't fuck with me Cassandra!**_ **You know damn well this region matters more than that stupid brat, and it's not like I don't have the time either,** _ **there's still TWO whole fucking months left to catch him!**_ " I answered indignantly.

_Like fuck I was going to let this hag pull the trigger over something so stupid. We still had the time for Arceus's sake!_

"... One month." Came the reply.

_What the fuck?_

"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously, disbelief masking my anger.

"You heard me, loud and clear, Steven Stone. You have one month left to find my 'stupid brat', I'll even overlook your terrible attitude if you do." Cassandra stated deadpan, as seriously as if she was pointing a gun at me.

"What?! _**What?!**_ Why move the goalposts now?! We still have plenty of time before his 18th birthday why rush it when you know damn well I have my hands ful-"

"The game has changed, Champion. It's no longer just about his birthday; if Brendan is returned home in the next four weeks, I'll be able to completely sweep his fallout in the public eye under the rug. A moderately clean slate for him to come home to is worth more than his damaged reputation as it is right now. In order for this to happen, he _must_ be brought to me as _quickly_ as possible."

" _ **WHY?! I just fucking told you that I don't have the time t**_ **-** "

"Then you'd better make time, Steven. Do whatever you damn well please in the meantime, but if my son isn't back in my house a month from now, then all of Hoenn will expect you to explain the nature of your relationship with Wallace in great detail." She said with finality, presenting an ultimatum I could hardly understand.

" _You wouldn't_ **fucking** _ **dare.**_ " I answered, shaking with rage, but also unease.

If Cassandra let that information go, especially while the region was being ailed by eco-terrorist groups, I couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of political chaos the Hoenn would land itself in. It's likely I'd be impeached overnight if that scenario came to pass, she wouldn't; she couldn't intend to do that.

"Oh I would, but only if I don't have my son in time. So get a move on darling; it's best not to keep a girl waiting, not that you'd know anything about what women want."

I wanted to strangle her. Here in this hallway, right outside my hotel room, I could feel myself shaking with sheer rage. If it weren't for my conscious attempts at composure, I might have even thrown my phone against the wall.

"I know I've likely said this already by the way darling, but, don't fail me. This will be the _last_ time I check up on you, perhaps you consider the fact that I was nice enough to even tell you about our schedule change."

I steadied my breathing, maintaining calm as best I could so I didn't say or do anything rash, even if I wanted to.

"Cassandra I have a goddamn region to look after you can't just-"

"I can, and I will. You'll find my son, or you'll deal with the consequences of your detestable lifestyle. There's no two ways about it, Champion. So for the final time, Steven Stone: Good luck, and good day."

_Click._

The call dropped, and I was left standing in stunned silence, but not for long. Cursing at everything, despite my attempts at remaining calm, I turned the key to my door and walked in. My eyes locked squarely at my pokenav, staring daggers the whole time.

_How fucking dare her! Hoenn is under terrorist threat, capable of city-level panic inducement and she thinks that her stupid boy comes even remotely close to being as important?!_

I put my phone back in my pocket, this time a bit defeatedly, though no less angrily, before slowly bringing my gaze back towards room level.

_Fuck that hag and everything sh-_

Only to meet eyes with someone I wasn't expecting to see in this room so early.

Her eyelids were a slight red, like she'd actually shed a tear or two recently, and she certainly looked worse for wear, even despite her colourful civilian costume. For the moment however, general emotion notwithstanding, this person's face had taken a different tone: One of confusion.

"Steven. Who… Who was that? They sound like an agent since you were talking about the attacks but... but you don't speak to your staff like _that_." Cynthia said with an oddly soft but detached curiousness.

_**FUCK.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there reader! I hope that was a fun new chapter! I know it's been slow going for quite a while, but I'm hoping that the conflict I've been illustrating between the choice members of the cast is being illustrated well and has kept its flow from the last chapter.
> 
> I won't be talking too much about specifics in the end notes, purely because it's 6am as I'm writing this, and I need sleep. So for now, I'll leave my end of chapter talk for the next instalment. Before that though, I'd like to thank you all for sticking around and waiting. The Loverival fandom is small enough without me taking forever to produce content. So thank you, truly. It means a lot to me.
> 
> Until next time readers!


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